Hilton Tokyo {JPN}
Apr 21, 2018, 12:13 pm
#76
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: united, Hilton, Amtrak
Posts: 1,192
What is considered a good rate for last week of June?
I am currently booked for 27000 yen per night for two nights. This is fully refundable?
a second question. Is it necessary to reserve spot on shuttle bus to Shinjuku station?
a second question. Is it necessary to reserve spot on shuttle bus to Shinjuku station?
Apr 21, 2018, 2:14 pm
#77
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
Apr 21, 2018, 2:46 pm
#78
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Austin
Programs: AA EXP +2MM- LT PLT! HH Diamond
Posts: 6,087
Hey everyone, I am fairly new still to FT but have a quick question. We are staying at the Hilton Tokyo April 29-May3 (booked with Citi free 4th nigh). Never stayed there before. I am Hilton Gold and noticed I can upgrade (via the app) from regular King room to a King Deluxe for only ~$95 for my entire stay (which is much cheaper than the rate initially offered at booking for King Deluxe). Would doing this now make this a smart move to get us closer and easier for the front desk to upgrade us to Executive Lounge based on everyones experiences with this particular hotel. Worth it? Thank you in advance! -Jon
Apr 21, 2018, 9:06 pm
#80
Join Date: Oct 2006
Programs: SQ PPS *G, Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 264
Breakfast is 6-10 in the lounge, 6.30-10.30 (11 on weekends) in the main restaurant
Evening service is 6-8 and afternoon tea is officially 3-5, although when we were there a few weeks ago there were food out pretty much the whole day after breakfast was cleared (mainly leftover pastries, finger sandwiches, cakes and scones).
Regarding the shuttle bus, it seemed that they have downgraded the bus to a smaller one with less seatings. This is good for people with luggages but there are considerably less seats. Standing is permitted when there is room. So try to get to the bus stop early as the queue can be quite long during busy hours.
Evening service is 6-8 and afternoon tea is officially 3-5, although when we were there a few weeks ago there were food out pretty much the whole day after breakfast was cleared (mainly leftover pastries, finger sandwiches, cakes and scones).
Regarding the shuttle bus, it seemed that they have downgraded the bus to a smaller one with less seatings. This is good for people with luggages but there are considerably less seats. Standing is permitted when there is room. So try to get to the bus stop early as the queue can be quite long during busy hours.
Apr 21, 2018, 10:05 pm
#81
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Pacific Wonderland
Programs: ʙᴏɴᴠo̱ʏ Au, IHG Au, HH Dia, Nexus, Pilot FlyingJ Preferred
Posts: 5,336
Apr 22, 2018, 10:52 am
#83
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,421
If you're staying at least a couple nights, I recommend trying ALL the free breakfast options for Elites. The main restaurant has the most selection, but it's not a fantastic buffet, and it's too busy/crowded. The lounge breakfast is a little smaller, but it still has an omelette maker, a fresh-squeezed orange juice machine (not available downstairs) and a MUCH calmer vibe. The Japanese breakfast (which must be reserved a day or so in advance) is weird to most Westerners, but is an interesting, zen-like experience -- and if you don't like the food or are still hungry, you can then head to the lounge to "top off."
Apr 29, 2018, 8:36 pm
#84
Join Date: Aug 2008
Programs: united, Hilton, Amtrak
Posts: 1,192
Ultimately, I have booked two stays totaling three nights for the end of June. The first night will be for one night on points. I booked a king room for 59K points. The second stay is later in the week for Wed. through Friday. Over both stays I should be able to sample all of the Breakfast options. I will start with the lounge. If I like that I will probably stay with it because the view aspect is pretty cool. If the lounge does not get it done, or is two crowded I will head down stairs. I intend to eat pretty earlly around 6:30 or 7 so I should be ok.
May 6, 2018, 12:49 pm
#85
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Falkirk, Scotland,VS Red, BA Gold, HH Diamond,UK Amex Plat
Programs: Master of the Privy Purse des Muccis
Posts: 17,908
6 night stay 19th to 25th April
Hi,
I booked 2 executive level rooms for my mother and I from the 19th to 25th April.
We had taken a taxi from Hilton Tokyo Bay ( around Y9,400) where we had stayed for 4 nights.
We arrived at 1130 and went up to the Executive Lounge to check in fully expecting to have to wait for the rooms to be ready. I was delighted to be advised that 1 room was ready ( 3024 -across the hall from the elevator but did not hear any noise) so we had our luggage delivered there and then had a coffee/tea in the lounge before heading out to Shinjuku Goyen ( I have been to Tokyo 4 times but it was the first time for my mother ( 73) so I was going to show her the essential sites. We came back about 3pm and had an excellent afternoon tea and collected the 2nd room key (3028)
The rooms were large, well appointed and quiet with good a/c as for 4 days the temperature was getting up to 28 celsius . The bathroom had a wet room with a bath and shower and the room had a cafiterie which made very good coffee.
The lounge opened at 6am and we had breakfast there with a very good range of hot and cold items including a made to order omelette.
Although it stated that afternoon tea started at 3pm ,the service started earlier than that with sandwiches, a large range of desserts including mousses and cakes as well as popcorn.
The evening service was very good with the hot items changing daily with a number of hot items and a large range of cold items including cheeses. There was a good range of alcohol and sparkling wine.
Staff were excellent and soon recognised us as we used the lounge frequently and they were very efficient at clearing the tables and stocking up.
The lounge was busy for the evening service but the staff did very well in replenishing the items. We did not have any problems finding a seat and one evening ( Saturday I think) we were told we could use the "gold/diamond lounge) down the corridor ( effectively 3710) which was a large suite with a very good range of food and drinks ( maybe slightly less selection than the main lounge but it more than filled us up). At all other times we used the main lounge.
Over the six nights here we had a leisurely breakfast before heading out around 930am to avoid the worst of the rush hour at Shinjuku station ( around the hotel it is relatively quiet but at shinjuku it gets busy very quickly. After sightseeing for a few hours my mum's feet began to feel hot and sore ( and although bandaged , her toes began to develop blisters ) so we headed back to the hotel to relax and have afternoon tea. My mother then relaxed whilst I either went out again to explore Shinjuku, Golden Gai, the city park etc and then used the swimming pool ( good indoor pool) before having evening snacks in the lounge and then heading out for a little while ( ie up the Tokyo Govt Building observation deck, Shinjuku, , Shibuya and the Tokyo Tower ( lit up with the diamond veil lighting on a Saturday night from 2000 to 2200)
We booked the airport limousine bus ( 0620 for a 1040 am flight from Narita). It stopped at around 4 hotels before leaving for Narita at 0650 and arriving at T2 around 0750 ( 0815 schd) despite heavy rain. With the lounge opening at 0600 we grabbed a quick drink and pastry whilst checking out and collecting the bus tickets.
There is a convenience store in Hiltopia in the basement which we found very useful.
Overall it was an excellent stay with great service. We only had one afternoon out of six with some light rain ( the day we left had heavy rain but that did not bother us.
The hotel is convenient with 2 underground stations nearby and a 10 min walk to the Shinjuku station
Regards
TBS
PS Just checked my HHonors account ( 3 .5 weeks after my stay) and there is no receipt and the points have not been added to my account ( 6 nights for 2 rooms so the missing points are significant) so I have had to fill out a missing stay form
PPS I filled out a missing stay form yesterday and the points have posted today ( rapid response given the weekend)
I booked 2 executive level rooms for my mother and I from the 19th to 25th April.
We had taken a taxi from Hilton Tokyo Bay ( around Y9,400) where we had stayed for 4 nights.
We arrived at 1130 and went up to the Executive Lounge to check in fully expecting to have to wait for the rooms to be ready. I was delighted to be advised that 1 room was ready ( 3024 -across the hall from the elevator but did not hear any noise) so we had our luggage delivered there and then had a coffee/tea in the lounge before heading out to Shinjuku Goyen ( I have been to Tokyo 4 times but it was the first time for my mother ( 73) so I was going to show her the essential sites. We came back about 3pm and had an excellent afternoon tea and collected the 2nd room key (3028)
The rooms were large, well appointed and quiet with good a/c as for 4 days the temperature was getting up to 28 celsius . The bathroom had a wet room with a bath and shower and the room had a cafiterie which made very good coffee.
The lounge opened at 6am and we had breakfast there with a very good range of hot and cold items including a made to order omelette.
Although it stated that afternoon tea started at 3pm ,the service started earlier than that with sandwiches, a large range of desserts including mousses and cakes as well as popcorn.
The evening service was very good with the hot items changing daily with a number of hot items and a large range of cold items including cheeses. There was a good range of alcohol and sparkling wine.
Staff were excellent and soon recognised us as we used the lounge frequently and they were very efficient at clearing the tables and stocking up.
The lounge was busy for the evening service but the staff did very well in replenishing the items. We did not have any problems finding a seat and one evening ( Saturday I think) we were told we could use the "gold/diamond lounge) down the corridor ( effectively 3710) which was a large suite with a very good range of food and drinks ( maybe slightly less selection than the main lounge but it more than filled us up). At all other times we used the main lounge.
Over the six nights here we had a leisurely breakfast before heading out around 930am to avoid the worst of the rush hour at Shinjuku station ( around the hotel it is relatively quiet but at shinjuku it gets busy very quickly. After sightseeing for a few hours my mum's feet began to feel hot and sore ( and although bandaged , her toes began to develop blisters ) so we headed back to the hotel to relax and have afternoon tea. My mother then relaxed whilst I either went out again to explore Shinjuku, Golden Gai, the city park etc and then used the swimming pool ( good indoor pool) before having evening snacks in the lounge and then heading out for a little while ( ie up the Tokyo Govt Building observation deck, Shinjuku, , Shibuya and the Tokyo Tower ( lit up with the diamond veil lighting on a Saturday night from 2000 to 2200)
We booked the airport limousine bus ( 0620 for a 1040 am flight from Narita). It stopped at around 4 hotels before leaving for Narita at 0650 and arriving at T2 around 0750 ( 0815 schd) despite heavy rain. With the lounge opening at 0600 we grabbed a quick drink and pastry whilst checking out and collecting the bus tickets.
There is a convenience store in Hiltopia in the basement which we found very useful.
Overall it was an excellent stay with great service. We only had one afternoon out of six with some light rain ( the day we left had heavy rain but that did not bother us.
The hotel is convenient with 2 underground stations nearby and a 10 min walk to the Shinjuku station
Regards
TBS
PS Just checked my HHonors account ( 3 .5 weeks after my stay) and there is no receipt and the points have not been added to my account ( 6 nights for 2 rooms so the missing points are significant) so I have had to fill out a missing stay form
PPS I filled out a missing stay form yesterday and the points have posted today ( rapid response given the weekend)
Last edited by The _Banking_Scot; May 20, 2018 at 3:06 pm
May 13, 2018, 9:18 pm
#86
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,141
Here's some data points from my recent stay:
We used The Access Narita to go from the hotel to Narita. It costs 1200 Yen (200 for the subway, 1000 for the bus) vs. 3100 for the direct airport limousine bus. The Nishi-Shinjinku is a couple minutes walk from the hotel -- the front desk clerk said it was easier to walk outside than go through the tunnel, and it certainly was easy (2 lefts). The subway ride was ridiculously easy (even with rollerboards), but the signage at the large Tokyo Station where you do the switch is confusing. When you get off the subway, turn left and follow the Yaesu exit signs. You will see Yaesu North, but you don't want that. Keep going a little further to you reach the next corridor and find an escalator on the right. Take that up one flight and you'll see Yaesu South. That's what you need. Just walk outside the building and you'll see Bus Stop 7. There was a small line at the bus stop; we made the first bus, but I would give myself time to wait for the next one just in case. Allow yourself about 40 minutes to get from the hotel to the Access Narita stop. From there, about an hour to the airport. The bus is as comfortable as the Airport Limousine bus (you get one big piece of luggage below, and anything you want to carry-on the bus). The three of us saved US$60 by taking this subway ride, and I'd say it was a no-brainer.
The hotel itself is good, but not fantastic. I picked it because I wanted to use points and I knew my credit-card Diamond status would get me some useful perks (unlike, say, my credit card status at the Hyatt across the street). The lounge is good. If you're staying a few days, you'll probably wind up at breakfast there because the main breakfast room feels too busy and the extra selection is modest (and the lounge has a fresh-squeezed OJ machine). What we did one day was book the free (for Diamonds) Japanese breakfast and then "top off" our breakfast with a visit to the lounge (they knew we were doing both but didn't care). I would not say the Japanese breakfast was delicious, but it wasn't bad (I'm not a huge fan of Japanese breakfast foods), and it certainly was an interesting cultural experience. So peaceful and zen-like compared to the bustle of the main breakfast room. And with the ability to grab more "normal" breakfast food afterwards in the lounge, there's nothing to lose by trying it.
While not advertised, we found a nice selection of mini-sandwiches and desserts at around 1 pm in the executive lounge (I thought "tea" didn't start until 3). In the evening, the 6 to 8 pm happy hour (with booze) has decent food. You could make a meal out of it if you wanted to and weren't so picky. Try the fancy Asahi draft dispenser -- it fills your glass from the bottom! And the beer is much better than canned Asahi.
We found the frequent free shuttle to the Shinjuku Station helpful. It's not a long walk (15 minutes?), but the shuttle is easy. And the area immediately around the hotel is sleepy -- the station is frenetic. Try a "belgian waffle" from the Manneken store next to the station's Hilton bus stop: best cheap dessert in Japan.
Overall, the hotel suffers a bit from being too busy (it's big and the locals seem to come for their restaurant specials), but it's not a bad place to use points or status.
We used The Access Narita to go from the hotel to Narita. It costs 1200 Yen (200 for the subway, 1000 for the bus) vs. 3100 for the direct airport limousine bus. The Nishi-Shinjinku is a couple minutes walk from the hotel -- the front desk clerk said it was easier to walk outside than go through the tunnel, and it certainly was easy (2 lefts). The subway ride was ridiculously easy (even with rollerboards), but the signage at the large Tokyo Station where you do the switch is confusing. When you get off the subway, turn left and follow the Yaesu exit signs. You will see Yaesu North, but you don't want that. Keep going a little further to you reach the next corridor and find an escalator on the right. Take that up one flight and you'll see Yaesu South. That's what you need. Just walk outside the building and you'll see Bus Stop 7. There was a small line at the bus stop; we made the first bus, but I would give myself time to wait for the next one just in case. Allow yourself about 40 minutes to get from the hotel to the Access Narita stop. From there, about an hour to the airport. The bus is as comfortable as the Airport Limousine bus (you get one big piece of luggage below, and anything you want to carry-on the bus). The three of us saved US$60 by taking this subway ride, and I'd say it was a no-brainer.
The hotel itself is good, but not fantastic. I picked it because I wanted to use points and I knew my credit-card Diamond status would get me some useful perks (unlike, say, my credit card status at the Hyatt across the street). The lounge is good. If you're staying a few days, you'll probably wind up at breakfast there because the main breakfast room feels too busy and the extra selection is modest (and the lounge has a fresh-squeezed OJ machine). What we did one day was book the free (for Diamonds) Japanese breakfast and then "top off" our breakfast with a visit to the lounge (they knew we were doing both but didn't care). I would not say the Japanese breakfast was delicious, but it wasn't bad (I'm not a huge fan of Japanese breakfast foods), and it certainly was an interesting cultural experience. So peaceful and zen-like compared to the bustle of the main breakfast room. And with the ability to grab more "normal" breakfast food afterwards in the lounge, there's nothing to lose by trying it.
While not advertised, we found a nice selection of mini-sandwiches and desserts at around 1 pm in the executive lounge (I thought "tea" didn't start until 3). In the evening, the 6 to 8 pm happy hour (with booze) has decent food. You could make a meal out of it if you wanted to and weren't so picky. Try the fancy Asahi draft dispenser -- it fills your glass from the bottom! And the beer is much better than canned Asahi.
We found the frequent free shuttle to the Shinjuku Station helpful. It's not a long walk (15 minutes?), but the shuttle is easy. And the area immediately around the hotel is sleepy -- the station is frenetic. Try a "belgian waffle" from the Manneken store next to the station's Hilton bus stop: best cheap dessert in Japan.
Overall, the hotel suffers a bit from being too busy (it's big and the locals seem to come for their restaurant specials), but it's not a bad place to use points or status.
BTW, have you ever seen a draft beer dispenser that does not fill one's glass from the bottom?
May 13, 2018, 10:03 pm
#87
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,421
And the beer was actually very good for a mass-market Japanese beer. So good that I went back for a second, only partially motivated by the novelty of the dispenser!
May 14, 2018, 3:22 am
#88
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 67
Major cons with Hilton is the chance of getting a non-renovated rooms (they are awful), the zoo they call breakfast and the risk of getting that young guy "assisting" you in the executive lounge desk -- I don't think he managed to do one thing right during our last visit, but the girls working there are amazing and professional.
May 14, 2018, 4:35 am
#89
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: YVR, KUL
Programs: AC, MH, BA, AF-KL
Posts: 2,904
Pleased to report that I got upgraded to an Exec floor. Needless to say, lounge access and breakfast were included for this lowly HH Gold member. Was also quite surprised to be given a room at 10am, given my experience with strict 3pm check-ins here in Japan.
If any fellow FTers are here, do give me a shout!
May 14, 2018, 12:29 pm
#90
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Hawai'i Nei
Programs: Au: UA, Marriott, Hilton; GE
Posts: 7,141
Go with Conrad. It's a bit more pricey, but the difference in both hard and soft product is worth more than 20k yen per night, at least for me.
Major cons with Hilton is the chance of getting a non-renovated rooms (they are awful), the zoo they call breakfast and the risk of getting that young guy "assisting" you in the executive lounge desk -- I don't think he managed to do one thing right during our last visit, but the girls working there are amazing and professional.
Major cons with Hilton is the chance of getting a non-renovated rooms (they are awful), the zoo they call breakfast and the risk of getting that young guy "assisting" you in the executive lounge desk -- I don't think he managed to do one thing right during our last visit, but the girls working there are amazing and professional.