Steve M

Japan uses the same power outlet type as is used in North America, so no plug adapter is needed. Voltage is an even 100 volts, but most portable electronics will work fine. Check the label. Frequency is 50Hz in the east (including Tokyo) and 60Hz in the west (including Osaka), but laptops don't care about frequency (shavers and other things with motors might act funny at 50Hz, though).

ACORD

Just spent a whole month at the Tokyo Hilton and you can be sure you'll not run out of things to do.

They stopped filming Iron Chef a couple of years ago but some of the Iron Chef's restaurants are in range of the Tokyo Hilton -- ask the concierge.

Recommend you get the Lonely Planet guide to Tokyo.

JHunter

Re: Iron Chef restaurants -

If memory serves me right , I've had the pleasure of trying 2 of them. Sakai's main restaurant is La Rochelle, near the Shibuya JR station. Very good (not phenomenal, though), somewhat pricey French (not too bad for Tokyo, though). Chen's main place is near the New Otani, very good food and reasonable prices. Both are fun for the Iron Chef fan; big pictures of the chefs, etc. Haven't tried any of the Japanese IC's restaurants; rumor has it that Michiba's main place runs several hundred dollars/head.

Check out http://derek_ironchefstour.tripod.com/ for some further information.

flightrisk

Personally, I find the areas outside of Tokyo much more interesting. But, I'm not much into visiting a modern metropolis. Kyoto and Nara area are full of traditional temples/shrines/gardens/food. A search on Hilton shows Osaka and Nagoya "nearby". (Disclaimer: I've stayed only in the Tokyo property, not these.)

You may want to investigate a 'Japan Rail' pass -- you need to buy it before you get there, and it allows you unlimited rides on all but the newest Bullet Trains. With the pass, I've even "day tripped" Hiroshima from Kyoto on a nice bullet train!

KathyWdrf

I have two GLON stays booked (at the "pre-inflation" rate of 100,000 points each) in September in Japan. First is at the Tokyo Hilton (the one in Shinjuku) and then the Osaka Hilton.

My questions:

1. Will I be charged any tax or service charge on these rooms? I understand that the 15% "tax" in Japan is really a service charge. I have NOT been charged any tax on award stays (not on the room rate, that is) at other HHonors hotels (London Paddington, NYC Doubletree Suites, and Paris), but was wondering if things are different in Japan.

2. I want to make sure I get my Diamond benefits -- specifically, breakfast and lounge access, and a decent room. (Doesn't have to be the Presidential suite, of course, or any kind of suite at all.) I seem to recall some thread(s) indicating that there could be a problem getting Diamond benefits on an award stay in Japan, but haven't been able to find such comments using a search on "Tokyo." Should I e-mail the hotels in advance? Or am I worrying about nothing?


Kathy

kawoh

> Will I be charged any tax or service charge on these rooms?

You won't be, I used a GLON (for Tokyo, Shinjuku Hilton) and had no problems, completely free. Unsure about Osaka, but would like your comments perhaps when you return or from other FTers as I plan to stay there next year.

> I want to make sure I get my Diamond benefits -- specifically, breakfast and lounge access, and a decent room.

I was upgraded to a Queen Exec Floor room, I think it was near the fire exit so I'm guessing the room was slightly larger than most others looking at the fire map on the door. They were reluctant to give me an upgrade, I said i'll wait, and about an hour later (went to starbucks around the corner) the room was available. They told me they wouldn't give me access to the lounge if not on an exec floor room. No benefits to speak of as a gold, except for the upgraded room and access to the lounge.

the lounge is above average, with an excellent range of food for breakfast and evening canapes, including hot selections for both times and free alcoholic drinks during the evening. If you do bring guests, they'll charge you a supplementary JPY1500 (only had 1 extra drink, not sure if it's a flat rate or it's per drink...)

If you are on the exec floor you get free unlimited broadband for your PC, they'll also provide you with a free PCMCIA card for your laptop if you don't have one for the duration of your stay. They (bellboy/conceirge) can also assist with transport back to NRT or HND. It's actually much less stress just catching the bus from the hotel directly to the airport.

And it is about the same price as the Nippon Express (NEX) at JPY3,000 to NRT and I think JPY1,800 to HND.

I did not contact the hotel beforehand about an ugprade, I expected I would receive one virtually without too many questions or waiting as is the case at most hiltons in Asia i've dealt with. Perhaps it may be worth contacting the hotel ahead of time to advise of your upcoming stay, expected arrival and length so hopefully they may in fact have something nice available.

hope this helps.


[This message has been edited by kawoh (edited 08-20-2003).]

Shareholder

Thanks for sharing your experience at this property. I too have a stay here on a GLONP in mid-October. Just one question: is this hotel, under the old awards, a GLON or GLONP property [Tokyo Shinjuku]? Kathy refers to 100K award, the GLON. The agent when I booked said it was a GLONP. I had one of both, albeit the GLONP will expire mid-January, the GLON later in March.

kawoh

When I stayed it was a GLON, but I think I recently glanced at the HH site and it's a top level category now... which I suspect is a GLONP?

My GLON if I paid for the room for those 6 nights would be about US$2,700... based on prices I saw available at the time, so definitely a great use of 100k HH, GLONs and GLONPs even now are great value in somewhere like Japan where hotels are quite pricey.

RTWSTARALLIANCE

Kathy. You should NOT be charged any taxes and/or service fees for your stay. I do not know what category the Hotel in Tokyo is. I have stayed there. I was once going to stay on a GLON award but we switched properties and so I just paid for the Hilton. We went back to the Park Hyatt Tokyo. No reflection on the Hilton Tokyo. The Park was on FFN. I actually prefer the Hilton because it does have a Lounge. Also very close to subway.

I would highly recommend you contact the Hotel prior to your arrival. The Executive Floor levels are often packed. So making your reservation known and asking for the upgrade to this level is necessary. Remember that award stay I had. The stay was upgraded and confirmed by the Hotel. They sent me a fax. Before I cxld that reservation I let them know I would be on a paid stay and to just "transfer" the upgrade to my new reservation. I sent that a couple of times. It was not confirmed back by the Hotel. When I arrived they tried and put us on the Business Plan floor with its' mini mini mini Lounge. Not. After one of the executives noted my reservation all was well. I was given a "tour" of available type rooms. I opted for a little smaller room which was non-smoke and a great view of the lights in Shinjuku. Go for this. The view at night is beautiful. Stand hard and humbly request your Diamond benefits. Take the Airport Limousine bus from NRT. The most convenient. I am sure you have a rail pass. BTW There is a Kinko's in the lobby. I was not travelling with my laptop so this was it for me.

Finally. Please e-mail me directly and I via reply I will give you the name of our contact at the Hotel. If anyone can make it happen it is him. Enjoy Japan. Never been to the Hilton Osaka. Last thing. Please confirm that you are making time to stay in Kyoto. This is a must.

KathyWdrf

Some random responses:

I booked the Tokyo Hilton way back in May, BEFORE the change in categories AND award levels. It used to be below the top category; now is cat 6. Hence I got it for only 100,000 points instead of the current 175,000! (There was quite a bit of discussion here on this very issue.)

And OF COURSE I am spending time in Kyoto! In fact, I'll probably make three day trips there during my stay in Osaka. Osaka is mainly a convenient base where I can get a free HHonors hotel stay and make day trips to other spots. (Also, I will fly out of KIX nonstop to SFO rather than return to NRT.)

Thanks for all the tips. Seems like e-mailing in advance and asking for exec floor would be a good idea.


Kathy

RTWSTARALLIANCE

I am also flying out of KIX in September. The airport is a engineering marvel. A sinking marvel, but a marvel. The UA stay is way to cool.

J0HN

Shareholder,
I would call back as you should be able to use a GLON award (instead of a GLONP). I booked my stay after the level change, and used a GLON issued prior to the point change.

With Gold status, I was upgraded to the executive level and was not charged any service charge/taxes. If you use the limo bus to get back to the airport from the hotel, be certain to charge your fare to your room, so that you get HHonors points.

kawoh

Definitely!! Another reason why it seemed so much better than taking the nippon express back.

Morrissey

I would definitely e-mail the HHonors manager at the Tokyo Hilton prior to your arrival, and politely request an upgrade.

[email protected]

Shareholder

Thanks for the tip about the airport bus back to NRT, as well as the email for the manager.

The issue of smoking and non smoking affecting such upgrades has been raised elsewhere. Given the very high proportion of smokers in Japan, is there likely to be a greater call on non-smoking rooms [by use foreigners] from revenue guests, and thus less likelihood of getting a ExecFloor non-smoking room by upgrade? Or less use of non-smoking rooms by Asian guest, and thus more likelihood of them being available for upgrading?

As for using the GLON rather than GLONP, it is the earlier expiry date on the GLONP that makes it preferable for me to use on this trip, as I may not be able to go anywhere for a week which this requires before mid-January. My GLON is good through March, which gives me more options, and a couple of not-so-shabby London properties. But still looking at trying to do a week in London, Paris or Barcelona just after the new year, so may be able to still use the GLONP in this way, and thus the GLON in Tokyo.

These new categories are very confusing, and by not having a single listing somewhere, HHonors makes it rather time consuming to plan such stays.

[This message has been edited by Shareholder (edited 08-21-2003).]