MattEvan

I lived for three years in Azabujuban, and find Roppongi basically irredeemable. It exists and serves a purpose, and that's OK! Agree on different strokes!

Pickles

I liked Azabu Juban better before the Namboku line opened, and even more before Roppongi Hills opened. The atmosphere of genteel old-skool decrepitude and decay into irrelevance was wonderful. Even the residents had moss growing on them. The new pika pika Azabu Juban is fine, but it's too crowded, so nobody goes there anymore.

MattEvan

So you liked AJ before I was born, most likely.

Pickles

Were you born after April 25, 2003, when Roppongi Hills opened? You're a precocious young fella indeed.

MattEvan

Not that young. But correct on precious.

TIL about the stages of Namboku-sen construction!

Pickles

Actually, I did not realize this, but the AJ Namboku-sen station opened in 2000, ahead of Roppongi Hills. I had an image that the station opened after (or simultaneously with) Roppongi Hills, So it was a combination of the station opening (on one end of the shotengai) and Roppongi Hills (at the other) that brought AJ into the present.

Anyway, the connection to the Andaz thread is that the building where the Andaz sits is owned by the same group that owns Roppongi Hills and the Grand Hyatt on site.

tripmaster

Why dont you like Roppongi? Genuinely curious...

MattEvan

It manages to somehow be grimey and sterile at the same time. It is overrun by the worst breeds of tourists, expats, and those looking to take advantage of tourists and expats. A virtuous cycle of awfulness.

There is nothing interesting about it. Oh, another Hills development by Mori with a dull Hyatt? Awesome!

antonius66

It's so hard to think of anywhere in Tokyo or Japan for that matter needing a safety patrol and being unsafe.

MattEvan

Welcome to Minato-ku! And, specifically, welcome to Roppongi!

NB: The safety agents are some of the most colorful characters in town.

Also, the way to think about it is not "unsafe". But rather "less safe" than some other popular places. I am sure there must be some kind of City security staff in Shinjuku, although I have never seen that.

soojin

Is Andaz Tokyo still stingy with their room upgrades for Globalists? I understand they never give out suite upgrades.

Aventine

They’re not stingy. They have an exemption to policy and probably regularly sell the suites.

hailstorm

That's not technically true. The policy exemption only concerns awards, not Globalist upgrades.

Andaz Tokyo is among the hotels that are termed Suite Award Ineligible Properties. This means that they are exempt from the policy of allowing reservation of suites with points, or using a TSU award to upgrade a room reservation to a Standard Suite reservation.

“Standard Suites” are defined as "each participating hotel’s or resort’s introductory suite category". Which in the case of Andaz Tokyo is the Andaz Suite. And Globalists "will receive the best room available at the time of check-in at Hyatt hotels and resorts, including Standard Suites and rooms with Club lounge-access." There is no mention of any exemption from this.

So indeed, the only explanation of not upgrading a Globalist to an available Andaz Suite is "stinginess".

OsakaWino

I think a possible alternate explanation is that this is one of the frequent examples of Hyatt's poorly written T&C. It is likely that the exemption is also intended to include exemption from entitling Globalists an upgrade to a standard suite when available. Although of course you are correct that this exemption is not stated. It would be interesting to know the policy at other properties similarly exempted. I know that HR Kyoto, which is exempted from suite awards, does not normally upgrade Globalists to an available suite as standard policy.

hailstorm

Intention is not a substitute for the words of the T&C. Earlier this year, I was able to check-in at a property before breakfast ended, and successfully argued that the T&C promised Globalists breakfast on the day of check-in if available. Several weeks later, the policy was changed to the current wording, "Breakfast benefit is provided following each night of a stay and will not be provided to Globalist Members on the day of check-in for their stay, regardless of how early they are permitted to check-in or whether breakfast is still being served at the applicable hotel or resort at the time they check-in."