Busymann

From what I've seen.
The Westin has:
bigger rooms
better breakfast buffet
more things to do nearby

Prince Sakura has:
closer train station
nicer looking rooms
whirlpool available

Which do you recommend?

I have 2 weeks in July. I'll be getting a Green JR Rail Pass. Most likely flying to NRT.

I plan on:
Nagano (trying Hokuriko Shinkansen Gran Glass a least 1 way) - 1 day
Hakone (near Mt Fuji)- 1 day
Osaka (2 days starting Tue, Wed, Tokaido Shinkansen, stay at the Singulari) - USJ, Dontombori 1 day - Osaka Castle, Abeno Harukas, Umeda Sky Building, stop in Kyoto, on shinkansen by 8:30 back 1 day
Odaiba & Maricar at Tokyo BBQ - 1 day, will have internat'l driver's license
Akihabara/Asakusa - 1 day, night Yamatabune dinner cruise
Disneyland - 1 day, Tues or Wed
DisneySea - 1 day, Tues or Wed
Shinjuku - 1 day including Robot Carnival, 1 hour in love hotel
Enoshima, Kamakura, or Zushi Beach - 1 day
Yokohama - 1 day, Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum, Chinatown, Cosmoworld, CupNoodles Museum, Landmark Tower at night

11 out of 14 nights. Will include Shibuya and other stuff. My wife will wear clothing that covers her arm tattoos.

Any advice is appreciated.

LapLap

In July?
The Sakura.
Gardens (gorgeous and will be provide genuine relief in July), proximity to station (and there’s a regular shuttle), and IMHO as much to do nearby as the Westin - but that’s a low bar.
Your wife will not be able to use the whirlpool.
Bear in mind that the communal whirlpool/sauna is a below average facility when compared to other neighbourhood sento and onsen that are easily accessible for just 500yen or so (let’s say 1,000yen for sauna access). Again, your wife will not have access to most of these.

The walk to and from the Westin in July will be gruelling. No shuttle service.

Busymann

How would they know if she's covered up? We were only thinking about the whirlpool after a day/evening out anyway and not thinking about an onsen. I understand the Westin guests have access to the Club at Yebisu Gardens for like $19.

Also, I heard there is some type of indoor or covered walk out of the basement level of the Westin. We aren't really fussed about an 8 minute walk vs a 4 minute one. We live in the same exact climate here in the DC area.

LapLap

????
You can’t cover up inside the whirlpool area or at any public bath.

I think we have different views of what “onsen” is.
I’ve stayed at the Grand Takanawa Prince Hotel a few times when the Sakura was still a Prince Hotel. When a local sento/onsen was about 400yen, the Sakura hotel facilities (the whirlpool) were then 500yen. I regard it in the same way as any of the other nearby sento/onsen (which I also use after a day/evening out.
You mentioned the whirlpool as a reason to consider staying in the Sakura Hotel. It wouldn’t be one of mine as there are plenty of nearby alternatives to most hotels in Tokyo.

Busymann

Why the ??? LOL. I didn't know you couldn't cover up in a whirlpool. Ok, so it's treated the same as an onsen….any public baths are treated the same. That means a plus for Sakura is nixed outright. I have a small tattoo as well so that's that.

I considered it because it was onsite.

LapLap

I didn’t know that you didn’t know that one cannot cover up entire limbs at public baths. Now you do.
Most baths and spas prohibit tats. If you have a small one, I understand that you can cover it with a bandaid or silicone plaster. If they are large, not an option.
Some places are reportedly OK with body art, but I am ink free so have never needed to look into it.
I struggle to imagine that the Westin spa will be one of those tolerant exceptions. The nearby (to the Sakura) Strings certainly does have a no ink policy at their steam rooms.

I don’t think it is “the same exact climate” in D.C. during July.
I’m partly from Spain, weather is hotter there, humid too as I’m from the East Coast. Members of my Japanese family came for a visit one August and exclaimed what a relief it was compared to the mugginess of Japan (which they left in July).

kaka

I second Sakura - on a sense of being convenient and surroundings.

as to ink: you really have to cover it up before you can use it - and even in wet rooms you're usually demanded to strip (my mom was sort of annoyed when she had to strip in a hotel wet room... she's like "that's not even a fake onsen - just water!), so you cant (technically) use it. I've been to hot tubs in Osaka/Tokyo where they ask people to cover tattoos up to use, but i dont remember which one(s) since it does not affect me (possibly hilton tokyo but i'm not sure).

Busymann

Well, it turns out I was right, to an extent. There are two whirlpool tubs that are gender separated. I was looking to be able to sit in there with my wife so that's a wrap.

However, the pools in the Takanawa hotels look like you can cover up and are not gender separated. I've seen a few videos of men swimming with shirts on. Same with kids on floats. The Sky Pool and Diamond Pool.

Yeah DC and Tokyo have the same weather. Hot and tropically humid in the summer. July and August will run about 96 degrees and sticky. I'll just dress like I do here, to an extent.

LapLap

Those are the swimming pools.
Yes, you can (theoretically) both wear rash guards there.

I was referring to the gender segregated whirlpools/sento which is what you yourself had mentioned as a deciding feature of the Sakura
Sauna, Whirlpool bath and Lounge - The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo, Autograph Collection - Official website
Takanawa Hotels are part of the Prince Hotel chain. They may be available to you for a charge (as the Sakura whirlpool is to Takanawa Prince guests).
http://www.princehotels.com/newtakan.../diamond-pool/
http://www.princehotels.com/newtakan...ties/sky-pool/
No mention is made of a reciprocal agreement allowing Sakura Tower guests to use these facilities. You would have to email the Sakura and ask.

You’ve already decided you know what you are doing. I’ll leave you to it.
Have a great trip.

Q Shoe Guy

I stayed at the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa for 10 days on the "biz" floor . The room came with lounge privileges and also free spa and gym privileges at the Autograph Sakura Tower which is just through the garden and down a cool circular staircase. Anyway, the spa was great, had saunas and said whirlpool. I was only in the "guy" section and the only folks in the whirlpool were guys. There are no bathing suits, tattoos are pretty much verboten ! Japanese public bathing rules apply ! Wash thoroughly before going in to the whirlpool or sauna and even switching between them. Do hold a small towel in front of your privates while moving between the pools and saunas ! Do not wear your towel in the pools, pretty much frowned upon ! There were posters detailing Japanese bathing etiquette posted in various languages. A very lovely way to relax after a hard touristic or business day. Don't be too hard on Laplap, she was trying to help !

evergrn

Busymann

We went to Jamaica twice last year and sometimes we ate in open air. We used these to take away some of heat. LOL



We also bring some lithium batteries for the recharge and fill this with ice that lasts allllll day even in the hot sun.

Busymann

From what I've read, the kids don't get out of school until July 20th. Is this correct?
Also, we figured on going to USJ, and both Disneys on Tues or Wed but how are Mondays? Should I stick with Tue or Wed? I want more options in case the forecast has rain.

freecia

I think you can also buy cups of ice at a combini if you need some while away from your hotel. It is meant to make iced coffee, I believe? I often carry around sufficient bottled water in hot and humid weather but reduce the load a bit in Japan since I've even seen working vending machines in the middle of the sparsely populated deep countryside. I'm not always near a combini but a vending machine is usually nearby. Just be aware that trash cans are rare. I'd bring an insulated bottle if only to dump the ice/drink (with leftover hotel ice) into and recycle the disposable* cup/bottle at the combini trash area before leaving. City vending machines will usually have a bottle recycle bin with precise cutouts and no trash can.

* Clarification: Purchase bottled drink and/or ice, decant into your insulated bottle at combini, and recycle now emptied plastic drink bottle at combini where there are trash facilities. If it is a bottle from a vending machine, there is usually a recycling area right next to the machine just for bottles. This will help keep your drinks cool for longer without carrying around excess water weight or having to pack trash back to your hotel. Abundant vending machines with cold bottled drinks and scarce public trash facilities are some of those "Japan does it differently" things worth knowing for new visitors arriving in summer.

Busymann

I'm using a vacuum sealed, double-walled steel container so I won't throw it away. We usually bring a large 64oz canister for the hotel room ice. It works 10x better than the ice bucket hotels give and keeps ice for days. However, we have to pack smarter for a 2-week vacation so we'll use the cylinders for ice, at homebase and out and about.

Shoot, I bring the 64oz container in my pack when we hit the beach in Atlantis. Nothing like cold ice for drinks while on the sand.