giblet

So I was planning on being back in Tokyo (after 6 months of backpacking) for a few days mid-April before going back to London.

My mother has just indicated that she would like to join me for a week, April 7-14, which would be wonderful. She's never been to Asia before and I think she'd really like Tokyo.

The only problem is accommodation. I have a hostel bed booked already, but now would have to switch to a twin room because I just can't put my mom through staying in a dorm. I have no idea even where to look for budget accommodation in Tokyo other than Hostelworld, and the places they have with twin rooms are almost all booked already.

So where should I look and what is the cheapest I am going to get out of this for?

giblet

I'd also love to take her to Kyoto too, but I assume trying to find a place there for mid-April is going to be impossible. I am worried this may break my budget!

jib71

Check rakuten travel for the best deals on twin rooms. (The Japanese interface often gives more options than the English page). Fortunately for you, budget hotels typically have lots of twin rooms.

For specific hotel recommendations, I've pointed people towards the Villa Fontaine Shiodome, Mitsui Urban Hotel Ginza, Remm Hotel Hibiya in the past and they've always been quite satisfied with the cost performance of those places. Rooms are small but modern, clean, efficient. Public spaces are attractive. The kind of place you might feel happy to take mum without breaking the bank.

Kyoto in April shouldn't be out of the question. Go mid-week to improve your chances of finding a room and to reduce the cost. ANd keep in mind that you could stay in Osaka or Kobe if Kyoto is full.

Oreto

Can your mother contribute any money to the kitty?

I think that you are correct in saying that low-cost accommodation is best booked in advanced.

http://gojapan.about.com/od/ryokan/t...n-in-Tokyo.htm
http://www.planettokyo.com/hotels/in.../detail/ID/58/

I can't vouch for either of these sites but some backpacker-type friends of mine do so take that for what it is worth.

What is your preferred area? Price range? Are you willing to stay further out but take trains in order to save some Ą?

kcvt750

jib-san,

Is giblet one of your offspring?

Just wondering.

giblet

jib71 (dad), Any idea what the range is for cheap places? Will I be able to get away with $80/night or is that out of the question?

LapLap

There's no need to stay in a dorm in Japan.

As long as she's OK with sharing toilet and shower facilities there are plenty of places where she can have her own room (generally, at the very low end of the scale there's not much difference between the cost of a twin room with that of two singles).

The cheapest way for two people to stay is in 'semi-double' accommodation, although you share a bed with this option, you would get your own toilet/bath. It will depend on your relationship and how large you both are.

If you do require a twin, Expedia are running a stay three nights, get one free promotion on some of the Tokyo Hotels. There are two Chisun Hotels (a very nice business chain - Hamamatsucho has, IMO, a better location) that come under this offer where you could get ensuite twin rooms for around 9,000yen (4,500yen each), as long as you stay there for three or six nights. But there are plenty of places with non-ensuite rooms for under 3,000yen.

If you have problems finding accommodation in Kyoto, try Osaka or this place in Nara (http://www.superhotel.co.jp/en/s_hotels/naraeki.html - it has availability, albeit in smoking rooms, on most of your dates)

Sorry I can't look into this more for you right now, I'm rather busy this morning. I have done the leg work already though
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=...b4a59f856&z=11
All the budget options with shared facilities that I know of in Tokyo are marked with a yen sign

If you still need help, let me know what else you require and I'll do some more later.

EDIT - my findings for Tokyo are:
lowest end singles with shared facilities is 2,500yen to about 3,500yen each

lowest end ensuite semi-double (for two) 5,500/6,000yen

lowest end twin 8,500/9,000yen (about 7,500/8,000yen in Osaka/Nara)

jib71

No. But we share a common ancestor.

$80 is lower budget than I'd normally go, but you can find somewhere clean and decent - as LapLap has shown.
If the budget is that tight, it may make sense to limit the trip to the Kanto area. Take in Nikko for the history and Kamakura for the standard temple environment. (Ginza for the shopping, Rappungi for the nightlife - You know the drill).

giblet

Wow, LapLap! Thank you so much!

I've started to breathe again--I was very nervous about the cost but I think it will be okay and I think my mom will love Japan!

I found a flight on United that would get her into KIX but leave from NRT--which would be great. We could visit Osaka/Kyoto for a few days and then go to Tokyo.

I also realized that I don't have to abandon my previous plans. I was going to stay with a friend in Otsu and with a friend for a few days in Tokyo (and dorm the rest). From what you say, it looks like getting a twin doesn't save any money so I could get her a single and stay with friends on the nights that I was planning. I'll give the dorms a miss and stay in a twin with her on the other nights.

Once she gets her ticket (tomorrow, I hope) I can start worrying some more, but thanks so much for this--the map is great!

jib71

I love it when a plan comes together.

abmj-jr

For another easy-to-use, lower cost option: http://www.japanhotel.net/ .

I occasionally use these folks and trust them.

Ichinensei

You can also try Toyoko Inn

http://www.toyoko-inn.com/eng/

They are in all major cities and always near a train station. There are several locations in Tokyo.

giblet

So excited! My mom booked her ticket--this will be her first trip to Asia.

So we are looking at

April 7 - Osaka (twin room)
April 8-9 Kyoto/Otsu (single room for her, I will stay with a friend in Otsu)
April 10-13 Tokyo (twin room)

For Osaka, it looks like there are some pretty good rates on Expedia.

For Kyoto, I think I'd prefer to find her a room in Otsu as that's where I am staying, and she's a little nervous about being on her own. There are some okay places in Otsu on http://www.japanhotel.net (thanks for the suggestion). However, I don't know if they have availability. Most other sites show the budget hotels as being full booked.

For Tokyo I will start down LapLaps list and Tokyo Inns as suggested.

If anyone has any other ideas or places that I should be looking at, please let me know!

LapLap

Toyoko Inn is a pretty ugly company, but I put my opinions aside and checked for your dates. Only 3 locations had twins free in Tokyo, and only one of those locations made any sense to a visitor (Korakuen). Even so, it was still in the 9,000yen region.
Not much on Rakuten for your dates for a twin room, alas. Only sub 9k twin room I saw in an area within the Yamanote line was the Business Hotel Nishiike.
The more I've looked, the more the Hamatsucho Chisun seems a good deal
http://www.solarehotels.com/english/...om/detail.html which was about 9,000yen a night all inclusive through Expedia for 3 nights.
Convenient location for transport (beware paying less and staying further away as you end up paying more on transport). If you both like walking, Ginza is a nice stroll away (just over a mile and a half) and Shinbashi is half this distance, Shinbashi is an area popular in the evenings with local workers with plenty of atmospheric izakaya (kind of like tapas bars) at good prices in the locality.

jib71

Friends don't let friends stay at Toyoko inn.