The Westin and the Imperial are two of the most expensive hotels in Tokyo, along with the Okura and the Park Hyatt.

Some of the better values in ***** hotels in Tokyo are:
- the Keio Plaza Intercontinental. With a 'Business Options' rate one usually gets a very nice room on the executive floor for less than $200; with a last minute 'Weekend Websaver', perhaps $150, a drab room in the south tower with the tour groups
- similar deals at the nearby Hyatt in Shijuku
- New Otani, if you have time get one of their membership cards, which give you a decent discount on all their rooms

If you get an excessively good deal at a Japanese-owned higher-end hotel, you might face discrimination in very subtle ways, such as not getting a choice of newspapers, or being told something is not available when you know it is, as some Japanese do not seem to like 'opportunistic' people. This happened to me at the ANA hotel in Tokyo and the New Otani in Sapporo. Enough to spoil the mood if you are sensitive to those things.

Also, availability tends to be unpredictable at year-end in Tokyo, with the demands of the local market (couples on xmas, large, well-off groups at year-end). Most luxury hotels in Japan make much of their profits from organizing wedding parties...