bri451

I caught an airfare deal to Tokyo in April. It seems I didn't do enough research and booked my trip during Golden Week (April 28-May 6). Does anyone have some recommendations for a reasonably priced hotel which is centrally located enough for doing touristy type things? It'll be my first time in Japan, so a place that can speak English is highly preferred. Thanks.

LapLap

Will you be sharing the room with anyone?

Unlike in many other countries, hotel rates in Tokyo are often based on occupancy. You get charged one rate if one person stays there and nearly double that if two people squeeze in instead (I've never understood the point of twin rooms in these places - if you're not friendly enough to share a bed you're invariably better off in two seperate rooms, it practically costs the same!).

Let me know as this will make a huge difference as to where the best value rates are.

bri451

I will be travelling with one other person. Currently I have a room booked at the Keio Plaza in Shinjuku. The rate is 20000 yen (+ tax) for a twin room with breakfast included. I figure I can do better than this, but I wanted to have something booked just in case.

LapLap

I have to admit that most of my favourite haunts haven't got deals available (yet!) for the days you have in mind. But here are some initial suggestions:

There is the Marroad Inn in Akasaka for under 12,000yen for a twin room inc breakfast: http://www.toto-motors.co.jp/marroad/akasaka/eindex.htm (under 10,000 yen on weekends)

Toyoko Inns (http://www.toyoko-inn.com/eng/)
Here's the one in Shinjuku - http://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/00078/index.html with twins for under 10,000
(EDIT: please be aware that this chain has a published policy against men sharing a bed in one of their rooms )

Also the hotels here: http://www.thehotel.co.jp/index_en.html
are good value for money (especially on weekends when the rates are reduced by an extra 20%)

One of my favourite budget options is the Asia Center of Japan http://www.asiacenter.or.jp/topeng.htm - but you can only book 3 months in advance. They have twin rooms at about 11,000 yen.

I'd also advise you to consider spending your last night near Narita to save money. The Holiday Inn (tobu narita) isn't the world's best but it is under 7,000 yen and will give you points/miles. Otherwise check out www.mytrip.net/en nearer the time as the Mercure in Narita can often be found for 9,500yen for the night.

Other alternatives are:

There's the stylish Roppongi Prince Hotel - Utell have twin rooms there for 15,000 yen per night (not sure what the tax will be though - between 5% & 15%) EDIT - NOW CLOSED

The Mercure Ginza is currently available for your dates at 16,000yen

Oakwood have apartments in Shirokane from 15,000yen per night (https://www.oakwood.com)

I stayed at the Takanawa Prince last week and had lovely large (recently renovated) rooms for under 14,000 yen (inc tax) with great views. I'll be back there in December as Utell had great prices - but not in April unfortunately. I honestly preferred it here to the IC Tokyo Bay and thought the room sizes for queen rooms/kings and twins compared quite well.

There's also some info on the Tokyo forum about the hotels in the Villa Fontaine chain here - http://www.villa-fontaine.co.jp/eng/
Twins range from 12,000 yen to about 15,000 yen. The one in Shiodome has been given a big thumbs up from a very reliable FT contributer.

EmailKid

Don't have the link with me, but I'll throw it out there anyway.

Since this is budget forum, there has been a lot of talk about hostels. Not sure if I saw it in this forum, but there's supposed to be a very nice hostel with great prices close to the center.

There has also been some talk about taking the train from NRT into Tokyo center v. car for hire with English speaking drivers.

My short train ride from NRT to Narita on a seven hour layover was very simple, and the one stop had signs in English. And be forewarned, in Narita, as I was warned, very few people spoke English.

EmailKid

CrazyOne

Don't normally have much to offer for this, but I did stay at the Asia Center of Japan several years ago. Seems they've updated it now, so it should be even better. I remember a very small room with a very small (but en-suite) bathroom. I assume that won't change much, as it's par for the course in Tokyo except for places costing 3x as much. I didn't have much trouble dealing with the folks there in English, but I have to admit I had a Japanese-speaking friend around. Indeed, I got all around Tokyo without knowing much more than please and thank you in Japanese, though I didn't exactly talk to too many people.

I got to end up my trip in a much nicer room, though. I had visited to see my then-girlfriend who was there for 6 months. We left Tokyo for one night or two, but otherwise Asia Center accommodated us for all but the very last night of my trip. So I booked a room at the Four Seasons (Chinzan-so; this was before the FS Marunouchi existed, and the Park Hyatt was sold out). That was a wonderful day-long respite from the cramped hustle and bustle of most of Tokyo. (Okay, straying off-topic for budget travel, but it was actually a good deal for the room given the hotel, service level and general expense of Tokyo hotels in the first place. )

otamxuan

I stayed at this place last year. It's cheap (3,200yens/night) and has free internet access. I also love the Japanese bath there.
http://www.juyoh.co.jp/
It's not too far away from the train station (~8 min walk).

Edit to add: it was my first time in Japan, too, with no knowledge of Japanese language but I had no problem at the hotel. The staff were incredibly helpful.

civicmon

Golden week? Be prepared for VERY full flights... VERY full.

The link above is a good one. I think in TravelBuzz! there's an extensive discussion on cheap Tokyo hotels... I stayed at one place that was 2500y/night....

Tokyo and japan's very managable w/o knowing much Japanese. A phrasebook will help a lot if you're in a pinch though, so i'd pick one up.

I love Japan.. that's the first IC flight I ever made....

LapLap

That'll probably be the New Koyo near Minowa station. I stayed here on first trip to Japan too. The Juyo mentioned above is very similar. You get a 3 tatami mat room of your own, a thin futon and sheets (at the New Koyo you'll need to bring your own towel or hire one - you can also rent a 'western' room here, but the bed is really thin, like those on a ship). The WCs are shared, you can use some basic kitchen facilities, there are shared showers (private) and a Japanese bath (communal). I think the Juyoh is near Iriya station.
Both Minowa and Iriya are a few stops away from Ueno, and you can walk to Asakusa within 20 minutes from the New Koyo.
I'd certainly recommend either of these for lone travellers on a budget (you won't be able to bring anyone back to your room though, not unless you pay for the equivalent of another room... it all gets a bit embarrassing! (I also met my fiance on my first trip to Japan, hence the experience).
This is why I haven't recommended either of these places to the OP as you can get a twin somewhere nicer (with en suite WC & bath facilities) for just 3 or 4,000yen a night more - and somewhere more conveniently located. I've found easy access to the JR run Yamanote line will save a LOT of money in the long run.
I've also found that jet-lag plays some funny tricks with me, so I don't appreciate having to shuffle out of my room and off to a shared bathroom 4,5 or 6 times a night.

IF YOU DO WANT A BUDGET OPTION....
For two people, for a similar price and better than either of the ho(s)tels mentioned above is the Ryokan Toukaisou (http://www.japanhotel.net/2005/room.asp?HotelID=564) which has 6 tatami mat twins WITH ENSUITE BATHROOM for 6,600yen inclusive. It's not a bad option for single travellers either as you get twice the space as either the Juyoh or the New Koyo and the ensuite stuff for 4,500yen (about 50% more... but worth it IMHO).

Ther's a lot of sensible advice in this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...6&page=2&pp=15 one of the best (for the budget forum) being the tip about the stylish Andon Ryokan which has rooms for 2 people at 8,190 yen. No ensuite, but makes up for it in loads of other ways.

lemex

Hopefully, last week end you were able to book one of those dollar nights at the Hilton in Tokyo.

Jay71

A few years back, after an assignment in Hong Kong, I stayed at the Shinjuku Prince on a solo trip to Tokyo (my first and only time). I stayed in a "single room" that was tiny; about the same size of an interior cabin on a cruise ship. I can't remember exactly what I paid but I was looking for budget accomodations (but not too budget) and the Shinjuku Prince was within target. Accomodation-wise, it was adequate to my needs which were just a place to store my gear and to zonk out watching wacky Japanese TV after a day of sightseeing. BTW, when doing research for my trip, I recall reading that staying at a "love hotel" is quite reasonable and not as weird as one might think.

I can't remember if the front desk staff spoke English but I don't recall having any issues. Location-wise, I had next to no problems getting to all of the touristy places using their train and subway system. I tried to cram everything in during my four day trip but it would have been a lot more sane in week like your trip. I don't speak or read Japanese but there was enough English around and the Frommers & Loney Planet guidebooks preps your quite well so you don't get too lost... and half the fun was getting lost in Tokyo.

LapLap

The downside to Love Hotels is that, with very few exceptions and only in Japanese, you can’t pre-book them. They work on the premise that you can either ‘rest’ there (for between 2 & 3 hours) or ‘stay’, generally from 10pm to 9am.
There are a few around Nippori station from 7,500-8,000 yen and upwards per stay, and there are also another couple of areas with hotels that also have reasonably priced rooms (EDIT: this includes nearby Uguisudani) – the hotels in more ‘happening’ areas such as Shibuya will start at around 11,000 and can go up to a lot more than that.
Be aware that on Friday and Saturday nights (and on holidays) there is a lot of demand for these places from the locals, you might not actually find anywhere vacant. And having to check out every morning at 9am (so that you’re on the streets until 10pm) is also something of a disadvantage. You can use coin lockers, obviously, but you’ll need to be highly organised as you won’t get your money back each time you open one.
But Love Hotels can be a lot of fun (especially in Osaka which has some outrageously themed ones) karaoke machines seem to come as standard at even the more down at heel places, and the rooms’ visitors’ books can be an experience in themselves.
Also, if you don’t speak Japanese, you might run into difficulties if you’re on your own and want to leave and return to the room. In order to maintain client’s privacy, you and the receptionist won’t actually see each other. Often, when you select your room, you’ll arrive to find it already open for you. Trying to then explain that you are leaving but intend returning shortly could pose a problem if the receptionist is unsympathetic.
I’m not advising against staying at a Love Hotel, obviously, I’ve used them a few times myself! Just be aware of their limitations.

civicmon

I wouldn't stay at a love hotel unless I had to.. they're pretty dirty all things considered.

There's a few new budget hotels in the Minowa/Minami-Senju area as well... the thread on TB had some info on them. Place is older but it's not bad or anything.. close enough to anything of interest as well.

LapLap

That statement is blatantly untrue!!!
I'm not saying that every single love hotel is perfectly managed, perhaps there are a couple somewhere with lax standards, but I believe you'd be hard pressed to find one (or perhaps you did and were unlucky).

I can also tell you that it is almost impossible to find double bedded (ie non twin-)rooms in any of the more upmarket 'regular' hotels on Xmas Eve, New Years Eve, or Valentines day. Why would you think that these hotels don't get used in the same way as any Love Hotel does?
I'd also like to point out that the kind of bedding used in Love Hotels is, let's say 'splash proof', and I would bet good money that it is a lot more hygienic than most beds/futons used in more conventional hotels.

Of course, you may have meant the word 'dirty' in a more moralistic context - OK fine. Nothing I could say would make any difference if that is the case.

There are many downsides to using love hotels, but dirtiness isn't one of them! (They rely on repeat business for survival, and it's also generally the females who have the say in which hotels are frequented. I'd ALWAYS put more reliance on a Japanese lady's judgement of hygiene standards than a businessman's.)

LapLap

I'm guessing you mean BESIDES the Juyoh, Andon and New Koyo.

This is the second mention in this thread about a thread on TravelBuzz, but I honestly can't find it.
Could someone please post this link?