8 nights in Tokyo
 

Will be in Tokyo Dec. 4 -12....looking for advice on hotels for 2 adults, budget is a consideration but so is a bit of relaxation as well. She shops, I watch....that is also a consideration. Looking at 1 or 2 day trips, know nothing about the area, any ideas on hotel, location, or what to see are welcome. I am doing my research on the fly so lots to read.

Thanks to any pros on Tokyo.

nov-dec is very busy in the kyoto-tokyo area. get a hotel booked immediately, or you will be sleeping under a bridge. for first look, search in veneer.com. narita is not near tokyo, although a number of the hotels listed are there.

good concierge services really are helpful

consider breaking your hotel stay in two, to get better hotels.

Thanks for the tips, would you recommend a hotel farther from the city using the subways to get a better value for the dollar? Which area might be best for that?

Thanks again.

Book your hotel soon, but only you and your wife know what you will find interesting. Asking strangers on the Internet to plan your trip for you is risky. You have about two weeks to buy (at any major bookstore) a guidebook and read it.

Then when you have more or less figured out what your schedule will be, come back with specific questions.

Thanks, we are working on that. ^

http://wikitravel.org/en/Tokyo
http://www.japan-guide.com/
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/
http://online.jtbusa.com/

All helpful sites to get you started.

With 8 nights I would consider seeing a bit more of Japan if you haven't been there before - Kyoto is probably the most popular choice, and at 2.5 hours on the bullet train, easy to get to.

In terms of shopping in Tokyo, there's lots! I think part of where to stay depends on what sort of shopping she wants to do - Ginza, for example, has lots of lovely high end shops and department stores, but if she prefers bargain stores, electronics, or western high-street stores, there are better areas for those things. I stayed close to Tokyo station, and found lots of shopping to occupy me within walking, or a short train / subway hop, and I also stayed at the Intercontinental Tokyo Bay, which would be very handy for going over to Odaiba, which has a couple of western style malls if that is more her thing.

As someone who appreciates good shopping, I would want a hotel near to where I would shop the most - lugging big bags around all day is a pain (although there are stores that will deliver to your hotel, I suspect they have a limit on distance) so being able to pop back and drop things off is handy, I wouldn't want to be staying out in the outskirts having to haul my shopping around all day.

I travel on the cheap all the time. on several trips to Tokyo, I have stayed out at narita because you can get some really cheap rates there. for me, the Hilton works great. gold status gets you free breakfast and free use of onsen. they have free shuttles to airport, mall, and narita town where you can catch the train into Tokyo. keisei line is around 800 yen each way and takes 1 h 15 m. to get to unio station. from there, get a subway day pass to get around town. I have never stayed at the narita crown plaza but for your dates, you can get room and breakfast for under 100 a day. might need to join the frequent stay club for better rates. personally, 8 days is way to much in tokyo. have fun. there is a temple in narita town that I a must see.

Save your ¥ for the good stuff.
 

I am no stranger on the Internet. :D
I have been to Tokyo ten times, including this past April's "Japan Do! #2".
OP, you can help yourself a bunch by downloading a copy of my "Japan Jaunt" zine.
An English-language atlas I keenly recommend is Tokyo Metropolitan Atlas from Shobunsha. I believe it wouldn't arrive at your domicile before you leave,

http://www.amazon.com/Tokyo-Metropolitan-Atlas-Shobunsha/dp/4398201033

but here's an Amazon link to it

. You could look for it at a bookstore there when you arrive.
Most of my stays in Tokyo (& Yokohama - visit there too if you don't want to stay there) have involved at least a week.
Short form: Business hotels in Ueno are less expensive than those in Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, & Shibuya.
As for shopping, I can recommend Jinbocho for both of you. Let her browse the book shops on Yasukuni Dori. You should cruise northward up and down Hakusan Dori. There are solid bargains on Japanese DVDs at its shops. (Your baggage will weigh a lot less than hers.)
For evenings, I recommend any number of Japanese craft beer bars. There are reviews of several I have visited in "Japan Jaunt".

this is also a good map guide.

http://www.amazon.ca/Tokyo-City-Atla.../dp/1568364458