Here to make a statement:
This hotel is the worst possible value for either cash or points. Take you hard earned currency of choice elsewhere. find some cardboard and a parking garage vent.
Booked 3 nights on points.
At checkin- they say hotel is full but they have upgraded me to an executive room with two beds. Unfortunately- my SO says this is not acceptable and insists on a single bed.
I saw the head tilt as she tried to politely say that we should really consider the executive room but my SO prevailed.
Head up to the classic room with one bed. OMG. you know that photo you see on the website for the classic room. Its real but aged 30 years. Like the couch was destroyed on all the edges.
Everything in that room is straight out of what i assume to be pre 1980 asia financial crisis, not a stick has changed. And smells like 30 years of smoke in the hallways and room.
We take 20 to sit and contemplate our situation. On the last 3 nights of a 9 day trip-what to do... We pull up all the sites (Marriott, spg, ing, Hilton) looking for alternatives on points or straight cash. Hastily we develop a game-plan. Fortunately Amex FHR comes though at the Conrad for about $1,100 with breakfast and credit. this is our go to backup.
Head back downstairs. As politely as possible. To a different checkin agent. I say that i just checked in and coming from the IC Osaka today--this is not an acceptable property and ill need to be checked out. I can not stay here. Of course this causes a flurry and she heads into the back--assuming to talk to a manager. after 5 min she came back and said they have a different room i should look at. This is a executive (like we were originally offered) but with one bed.
I saw this coming. Of course they need to try something for service recovery. OK-fine. Ill check it out. I asked if the room had been renovated in a measurable way and i was assured it was. OK. So we head up. And ill give it to them. It was fine. what i would expect of a high volume convention hotel- cleaner but unremarkable.
After inspecting the fire exit card on the back of the door. The room i rejected is only a lower category due to the crappy quality but space and layout were identical. Nearly all rooms appear to be identical in size- no outlier on a corner for example.
This room we decided was passable enough to avoid the cost and hassle of switching. So we took it without further fuss and made a promise i would come here to warn others.
To be clear- I stay at a ton of junk hotels in the USA- side of the highway old holiday inns. My standards are about as low as you can get. The IC Tokyo ANA---This hotel--at least the base (classic) rooms---are junk. Dont risk getting dumped into these. It wouldn't be a problem if it was a side of the road hotel for one night; but its an IC with 4 stars in a popular city that people might think conveys quality. Unless your guaranteed to get the executive room at a minimum. i will vote with my wallet or points and spend elsewhere.
Also- i was trying to respect that if they were indeed "sold out"; im fine heading elsewhere; but guess they had one in reserve. In no way did i ask for anything other than to be checked out. I have stayed at IC Tokyo Bay a few years ago and while not lavish-- i remember it to be somewhere around 1000% better all around IMO.
Lastly-- I have read every single thread on here comparing the three IC. i really wanted to come out strong enough about the risks of these junk rooms.
Other random notes.
-The breakfast was passable but not something we were willing to pay for after the first day. The pastry selection & coffee was junk in the buffet area. There is a pastry shop near the clothing shops by the checkin desk in the hotel. Much better use of the cash. this shop was actually the highlight of my stay at this property. im a sucker for sweets.
- The concierge did make (3) lunch reservations in advance over email with ease which was awesome- Sushi Shin, Sushi Tou, Aoki sushi. FWIW- i thought Sushi Tou won on both price and experience. Also thoroughly enjoy Sushi Shin. Aoki- must be the rent in Ginza but I felt it was lacking.
--The staff are great. They were awesome at every interaction.