schoflyer

Tokyo Le Meridien Options
Hopefully we can keep the Tokyo Le Meridien discussions focused in this thread. I will stop short of calling this a "Master" thread because I learned that the mods don't like that.
Essentially there are two properties that fall into this category.
1) The Le Meridien Grand Pacific Tokyo (Daiba)
2) The Le Meridien Pacific Tokyo (Shinagawa)
I noticed in the information folio that there is a scheduled shuttle bus between the 2 properties which is great for the mattress runners who come to town.

I checked into the LM Grand Pacific yesterday and here are my comments/impressions. I will be at the LM Pacific in three days time and will add to this report.

LM Grand Pacific (Daiba):
Access:
From Narita you’ve got 1 good and 1 mediocre option getting to the property. It all depends on your timing after you clear customs and are ready to get into Tokyo.
As much as I do not like the Friendly Limousine bus (2700 yen), my connection was perfect. I arrived at the hotel 95 minutes after my feet hit the jetway! There was Nobody at immigration, my bags were first off the plane and I got to the bus desk to buy my ticket at 43 minutes past the hour. My bus left Terminal 2 at 50 minutes past the hour and there was no traffic. Amazing and convenient. The catch is that this particular bus leaves once an hour. A link to the timetable for the bus is below.

http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/e/time...utoshin_h.html

The other option from Narita is a combo of trains. You’d take the NEX to Tokyo and then the Yamanote or Keihin Tohoku line to Shimbashi. Then transit to the Yurikamome line which leaves you at the doorstep of the LM Grand Pacific. If a lot of traffic doesn’t slow you down the bus is going to be faster, but cooling your heals for a long time after a long flight is not much fun either. If I were to miss the bus, I’d take the NEX if I caught the train that departs at about 15 past the hour. Otherwise I’d wait for the next bus.
The convenience of the bus heading back to Narita is great. I highly recommend it especially for the mid-morning flights to Asia and the East Coast. Make a reservation with the concierge. The first bus leaves at 7:05.
The travel time to/from Shimbashi on the Yurikamome line is 15 minutes The location is not that bad if you’re headed to the Marunouchi area if the city, but your at least 35-45 minutes from the Shibuya and Shinjuku areas.
For those of you that think the Westin is a bit removed due to the distance from Ebisu station, I think that you’ll have similar issues in Daiba unless you need to be in this part of town.
There are also scheduled buses to and from Haneda Airport (600 yen) for domestic flights but it’s only about a 4500 yen taxi ride to Haneda which is not bad compared to the Narita fare.

Starwood Recognition:
This will need to be updated because there was Zero courtesy upon my check-in. This starts next week. I was hoping for something but got nothing. Fair enough.

Room:
I am in XX38 on a higher floor. My first impression was that the room was small. Looking at the floor plan it seems to the mid-sized of 3 different option assuming the plan is drawn to scale. I booked for 1 person in a double bed. At check-in I requested a King but was told that most of the beds that are not twins are doubles. The furnishings in the room seem slightly dated but this is not to be confused with warn, old, shabby, etc. The room is very clean. My bath is nice. Marble floors, faux marble countertop, deep bath/shower combo and the toilet sports all of the “Washlet” functions. There is a VDSL jack built into the desk an the internet access is complimentary. I was sent to a login page that showed 0 yen for each of my options: global or local IP. I’d be willing to bet that there will be a charge for access in the future. It seems as if the system is in place for just that and we all know *wood charges. The bed was nice and firm but is not up to the luxurious *wood standards. There are bedside controls for the lighting, alarm clock. There are 2 chairs and a small table. The minibar is stocked with water, soda, tea, beer, and some mini’s. There is also a hot water pot and some tea and coffee packets that I think are free.

Lobby:
The hotel lobby certainly has the 5 star look and feel with marble spilling all over the grand entrance. The staff was attentive and the service was good complete with an escort to my room and a detailed explanation of how to use the magnetic key card.

Dining/Food:
I will not have a chance to visit the dining establishments. The 2900 yen breakfast buffet seems expensive to me but maybe not for Tokyo standards. I’m used to free lounge buffets at the ICs and should soon be able to enjoy that benefit at *wood properties. They do seem to have a number of restaurants/bar options and a "President's" club lounge.

There is however a convenient store in the adjoining Atrium which is still on property. Pricing does not seem to be inflated although they do offer a few upscale items. It’s located literally just a few steps from the front desk. They are open 24/7 and offer fresh bakery items, prepared sandwiches (which are not something to cringe at if in Japan), snacks, candy, soft drinks (no diet coke though) and a fine selection of beer, sake, etc. Absolutely no reason to crack anything in the minibar unless your lazy.

Other Notes:
I did notice that if you choose to not have your room cleaned/restocked you can receive a 2000 yen credit. This can not be done 2 consecutive days. Check with the maid service if this appeals to you.

Overall impression:
Well, it’s a nice hotel. Hits me as an upscale business hotel not a luxurious one fit for a romantic getaway. I chose this property because I needed a *wood “Stay” and my 18,500 yen fully-flexible internet rate was far less than the Westin. I also like the 7:05 bus to Narita for my flight to BKK with golf clubs. I’ll be a Platinum by my next trip and will look to use SPG50’s at the Westin next time I come to town. It will be very interesting to learn how the LM Grand Pacific will treat *wood elites in the near future. I much preferred the IC Tokyo Bay in terms of convenience as well as the hotel in general. I never stayed there without status however.

dbuckho

Just stayed at LM Pacific a month ago. One tip - if you want a room with high speed Internet when you get to the LM Pacific in 3 days (so you can post your experience for us here at FT), have the GP folks call over and make sure the Pacific confirms it. A number of collegues and I were very surprised when we got there and were told it would be 2 days before we could get into an Internet wired room. Some stayed and used the Yahoo Internet cafe across the street at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel, some just moved over to the Prince for two days, and some bailed for the Westin.

The Pacific's rooms are quite basic/run-down and in need of rennovation, but the location is much better (tons of stuff connected to Shinagawa station and you have a million ways to get anywhere). The Pacific's public areas are also quite nice. One highlight is the cool entertainment at night on the top floor bar - i.e. I really enhoyed the full Don Ho band there on Tuesday night.

LAXNRT

I am currently over at the Westin which is my preferred SPG property in Tokyo. Can you get SPG stay credit at the Meridien yet? Only a short hop from the Westin and much better rates.

Starwood Lurker

Not yet. Maybe after March 20th, though.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

schoflyer

Maybe?

Starwood Lurker

Yep. Maybe.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

LAXNRT

Thanks for the quick reply. I love the Westin but as I pay out of my own pocket this is becoming expensive. Would be good to have a lower price option in central Tokyo.

Thanks again William!

Starwood Lurker

Well, in reality, if this hotel ends up participating in SPG when the merger is complete and you are a Le Meridien Moments Member and you stay at the Le Meridien now and have the stay credited to your Moments account, the stay credit and the points will transfer over to your SPG account after the merger is complete, but you can't earn Starpoints directly right now.

I think a lot of people are making assumptions about properties where we do not know if they will be joining SPG or not, so right now, it is still a gamble. That is what I was getting at.

Sincerely,


William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services

[email protected]

schoflyer

FWIW:

I just checked out of the hotel and inquired as to whether or not the LM Grand Pacicic would be participating in SPG. I clarified by asking if I would be able to earn starpoints at this property in the future. The front desk staff went behind the curtain and asked the Wizard of Oz. She emerged saying that yes, the LMGP would be participating.

While nothing's over until it's over, armed with this information, I'd say that this property is a pretty good "gamble" at this point.

I'll confirm at the LM Pacific in Shinagawa on Monday.

Regards,

Scho

luxury

Thanks for this info!! I have plans to be in Tokyo in May (after Golden Week) and this info will be highly useful.

jimmychang

Dear Mr.Chang

Sorry for the delay.
Hotel pacific Tokyo will be at category 3.

Best regards,
---------------------------------
Le Meridien Pacific Tokyo
Room Reservation
Tel:03-3445-6711

schoflyer

LM Pacific (Shinagawa):
Access:
From Narita you’ve got a couple options getting to the property. Like the LM Grand Pacific, the LM Pacific is serviced by the Friendly Limousine Bus (3000 yen). I have provided a link below to the schedule page.

http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/e/time...a_ebisu_h.html

This bus is going to drop you off right at the hotel steps from the reception. In general, the bus departs at appox. 25, 50 and they run a third bus during the peak afternoon arrivals window at 05 minutes after the hour.
If I were arriving however, I’d take the NEX! I’m not a fan of the bus mainly because traffic is unpredictable. I have provided a link below to the NEX schedule page.

http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/nex/e_Time...1_u/index.html

When you’re buying your tickets, make sure that you tell them Shinagawa as your destination and not Tokyo Station. This way you’ll get a seat in the correct half of the train. (It Splits at Tokyo). Trains leave at approximately 15 and 45 min past the hour. Like the bus, no need to advance book.

You’ll arrive at Shinagawa station which is “across the street” (big street) from the Pacific. If you have wheels on you bags you wont have trouble. (If you cannot manage your luggage by yourself, take the bus.) Exit the station at the Chuo Takanawa Exit, veer left heading toward the taxi stand and cross the main street passing McDonalds on your left. Continue up the sidewalk and there will be a break in the railing were you’ll cross the “side street” in the direction of TGIFridays. Take the escalator to the front desk.
In general the Shinagawa location is great! Lots of shops and restaurants around. Steps from the JR station with direct access to Haneda, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Yokohama and Narita.

Starwood Recognition:
This will need to be updated as the merger as not yet been completed. When I checked in I did not hassle the staff for an upgrade or benefits. I did confirm with the front desk that this hotel will be participating in the SPG program. I asked them what category they would become and they thought I was asking about my benefits. In discussion amongst themselves they decided that the answer must be in the internal manual that was at hand. I didn’t really need to know about gold benefits so I asked them in Japanese what category they would be. They said that they would be a 3, and guessed the LM Grand Pacific would be a 4. I’ll try and confirm with LM Grand Pacific tomorrow at checkout.

Room:
I was in XX07 on a higher floor. My first impression was “Wow, this is almost as nice LM Grand Pacific.” I do not know if I received a Superior room or not.
At after a closer look, the age showed slightly more. A few scuffs on the wall by the luggage rack, desks and tables showed a bit more wear. Bedspread was a bit older etc.
The main difference I found in the accommodations was the bathroom. It needed to be replaced if the SPG and LM aspires to “revitalize” the property. The word that tells you all about it is “replaced.” Bathrooms in Japan are often prefab units manufactured by Toto. While it was clean, it was very dated. I’ve seen some of the newer units with faux granite materials in private homes and I want one in my home in the States. Walls, Ceiling, Floor, Tub, etc. comes in a prefab kit. The bathroom is not a deal killer for me, because I’m familiar with this type of unit. Someone on their first trip to Japan may scratch his/her head a bit, however. Yes and there was a “Washlet” as well.
Following the advice a poster in this thread gave, I called ahead and made sure to request a room with highspeed internet. There is a VDSL jack built into the desk and the internet access is complimentary. I actually didn’t go online but the English manual that was in the room revealed a system identical to that of the LM Grand Pacific. It’s free for now. There were bedside controls for the lighting, alarm clock. There were 2 chairs and a small table. The minibar is stocked with water, soda, tea, beer, and some mini’s. There is also a funky “Sony” hot plate built into the dresser.

Lobby:
The hotel lobby has the 3-3.5 star look and feel. The whole deal about this property was that it was built in 1971 and it WAS the “cats meow” there was some remodeling done but that whole groovy “space-age” feel remains. The staff was attentive and the service was good complete with an escort to my room. There are a lot of shops (not to be confused with boutiques) tucked into corners in the public areas of the lobby and I believe had a “cheapening” effect on the image. I’m tall and I believe the floor behind the front desk may be original as it was worn through to the concrete in places.
I did notice an ATM sporting the Cirrus logo in the lobby.

Dining/Food:
The only meal I had in Shinagawa was at McDonalds. Two Egg Mc Muffins and Fanta Grape Soda for breakfast.

Other Notes:
It appeared as if the LM Pacific had a similar offer to the LM Grand Pacific regarding the credit for not cleaning restocking. I did not read the details however. Read the laminated message in the Hotel info book on the desk.

Overall impression:
Well, it’s a satisfactory hotel in a good location. It hits me as a business hotel with potential. I chose this property because I needed a *wood “Stay” and like my 2 nights at the LM Grand Pacific, my 18,500 yen fully-flexible internet rate was far less than the Westin. I’ll be a Platinum by my next trip and will look to use SPG50’s at the Westin next time I come to town. It will be very interesting to learn how the LM Pacific will treat *wood elites in the near future. For me, this hotel is a definite option as on an arrival night before a domestic flight departure in the morning. It will be interesting to see what happens to the rates after the changeover and how the rates will compare to SPG 50 rates at the Westin.

LapLap

I'm a big fan of the patisserie at this property - alas it doesn’t open until 9am or so which is a little too late for breakfast. (I usually stay next door and have popped over a few times to check out the facilities)

NOT ANY MORE!

The bakery/patisserie can be found on the lower floor of the reception lobby. Although the staff at the in-house patisserie are cordial and polite, they don’t come close when compared to the exquisite charm of the lovely, lovely lady who staffs Le Meridien Patisserie outpost within the ‘Wing’ food outlets in the basement next to Shinagawa station.

My parents were so taken with her they made sure to purchase pastries for breakfast from her every evening (and a few cream cakes for immediate consumption). In a city where they were continually struck by how pleasant and accommodating everyone was, this particular employee of Le Meridien was truly exceptional. And every cake we tried was delicious!

-----------------------------------------------------
By the way, I’m delighted that this Le Meridien will become part of the SPG program and am pretty likely to stay here in the future as a result of this news. (I did, comment added)

EDIT to add: the outlet in the Wing Stores has gone, the cakes that are there now fall well short of the standards available previously. I can only assume that different bakers/confectioners have taken over. I can't recommend the patisserie anymore.

nonsoloinglese

I have been looking for properties in Tokyo for a three night stay in July and even enquired about the SPG50 rate which turns out at 25,000Yen for a King room when the flexible internet rate is 34,000 so not much of a great discount IMO. I am tempted to go with the Grand Pacific as it is a good location *wood property in Tokyo and will be using public transport a lot.

My AMEX Plat should give me *wood Gold but they haven't updated my account yet. If I book now as a regular guest but then my account gets updated will I benefit from the added benefits?

Cheers

bgriff

I'm looking at possibly a first trip to Tokyo and I am not familiar with the city, so could anyone provide thoughts on the locations of the two LMs vs the Westin? (I'm booking with points so price is not a huge concern--but if the LM Pacific is in a reasonably good location for touristy stuff, I'd rather not burn the extra points for the Westin; you get the idea.)

Also, if anyone has any experience to contrast the locations of the SPG properties with the locations of the Grand Hyatt and Park Hyatt, that would also be useful.

Thanks!