Originally Posted by
roberto99
Avoid US hotel chains in Japan.
That tipp can be expanded to the world. Picking a hotel that fits perfectly (price, quality, location, etc...) usually means staying at places not part of a US chain or another chain for that matter.
That said, I don't mind going to a US chain hotel in Japan if that hotel is excellent. I usually try a mix of ryokans, Japanese hotels and Western hotels.