About me: I'm a traveler who usually spend about $350 a night at brands like W hotels, Mariott, and Westin when visiting a city. My last visit to Tokyo in 2019 I stayed at the Hyatt regency Shinjuku but found it a little too far away from the nightlife. I'd like to be in Shibuya this trip.

Wild prices: I was shocked to discover that despite the strong US dollar, recognizable brands like Hyatt, Hilton, and Mariott are all charging $550-$600 a night for my upcoming April trip! But I'm confused because I also see tons of forgettable named hotels for under $200 per night on trivago. Why are hotel prices so wildly different? Is there a good reason to pay up for a western brand name hotel?

Recommendation: I saw mega-threads for $99 budget hotels and $1,000+ luxury hotels but what about Tokyo hotels in the mid-market like your stereotypical Marriott traveler? Do you have advice for where someone like me should stay in Shibuya? Are international brand-name hotel prices in Tokyo a scam or is there a good reason they're so expensive? Should I talk to my travel buddies about an Airbnb instead of a hotel? Thank you for reading my question, I've never encountered a city with such complex hotel pricing before.