Cheap hotel for a short layover in Tokyo? Cheap eats and what to do?
 

So I just discovered that I can't stay in NRT overnight as my connecting flight doesn't leave Tokyo until the next day. It's last minute and hotel rates are high. I'm departing for Tokyo in under 72 hours. I don't know how long it'll take to clear customs when I land, but my flight is scheduled to arrive at 16:30.

I've looked at Hyatt, Marriott, and Hilton, where I have status, but the rates are high. The Hilton Narita is sold out on the day I arrive! I can justify the rates at the other hotels if my stay was longer, but as it stands, I think not only will I miss out on a potential evening food spread in the lounge, but maybe even breakfast as I don't know what time breakfast at Tokyo hotels usually starts.

So I guess I'm looking for something cheap where I'll be in the room from maybe 18:30-6:30. It's not a lot of time. I'm thinking of even staying at a capsule hotel. Has anyone here stayed at an APA hotel? I'm looking at that as well as it's well under $100. The hotel should also be conveniently located so I can quickly return to NRT the following day.

I also have a few Yen in my room from my last trip in 2018. Should I bring that or I can survive strictly on credit cards in Tokyo? Whichever hotel I'm staying at, ideally there should be some decent restaurants nearby. I would love to get a bowl of ramen since I haven't had one in Tokyo in years! Anything else to do before I get back to the hotel and sleep for a few hours?

If you have any other advice for a short stay in Tokyo in the COVID era, please let me know. I'm well aware that mask-wearing is highly encouraged so I'll do my part and have it on at all times except when I'm eating.

I never liked staying in the hotels that require shuttle buses to get to and from. My choice (when needed) is a hotel close to the main Narita Town rail stations. Means I can roam around with things to do and see, both late at night and very early in the morning.

The Mercure is now the Welco Hotel. Haven’t been there since it was the Mercure but the location is ideal for layovers (so long as you can keep a note of the train times I find them much more convenient and rather quicker than the courtesy buses)

APA? You might not know who Fumiko Motoya is. It’s around 15 years ago that I was in an APA hotel and that stay ensured I will never forget her face, she was featured EVERYWHERE. Felt odd and oppressive at the time, I remember feeling sympathy for the staff, but I dismissed it as “quirk”. Alas, she grows on you, like mold, and the more I’ve learned about Fumiko and Toshio Motoya the more I’ve come to dislike them My feelings are quite intense now. I’d find a stay at an APA hotel very challenging and would actively avoid it.

But there are quite a few reasonable hotels in the Narita Station area.

How do I get to the Narita Town rail station from NRT?

Have you done the VisitJapan Web registration. I ask as you had hoped to stay in NRT overnight and wasn't sure if that was planned to be airside or not.

If you haven't you need to move very quickly.

Why?

Depending which terminal you start from it’s about 10 minutes by train to either the Keisei Narita Station or the JR Narita Station.
Both Narita stations are close to each other. The Keisei Narita line tends to have more frequent and slightly faster connections.
Cost each way is around 250 to 270 JPY.

If you plug your date and departure or arrival time into https://www.hyperdia.com along with “Narita” and whichever of the Narita Airport options corresponds to your terminal you can find the times you needs. Just take note of whether it is the Keisei or JR station for each option.

Keep a note also of the times and options for when you expect to arrive and head down to the corresponding platforms at the airport. They are well sign posted and you will see different entrances for the different rail companies. If it isn’t clear to you, Keisei is probably the more convenient choice.

I'll be landing and departing from T2.

Since my stay in Japan is so short and last minute as I had described in the OP, I won't have a lot of Yen on me. Can I pay with my credit cards at most restaurants and for the train ride?

If you can get and keep aside one thousand yen just for the rail tickets you’ll be fine. It might be that you can use a credit card but it just seems that it would potentially be too problematic to go through with.
I don’t think you would need much more. Plenty of restaurants and bars in Narita take credit cards, I understand that the balance has tipped further towards cashless payments in the past couple of years.

”I'll be landing and departing from T2.”

Narita Airport Terminal 2-3 to Keisei-Narita station takes 7 minutes and costs 270JPY

It's a government requirement if going through immigration/customs, or at least proof you have had three COVID vaccine injections or a COVID test to the apporirate standard no more than 72 hours before. Your airline may also insist.

https://www.digital.go.jp/en/service..._japan_web-en/

Have you been to Aeon Mall before? Is it worth going to and burning a bit of time in the evening? Maybe even grab a bite?

I’ve always had other alternatives for things to do.

As I have family in the Shiogama area, I do know what the oysters from those waters are like. I also have a real weakness for prefectural promotional events showcasing foods from the various areas, the oyster fair would be enough to draw me to the Aeon Mall but only because it plugs right into this special interest.

I have wonderful memories of walking at night through Narita town and sampling unexpected highlights at some of the izakaya there. But this was where I would say goodbye to my Japanese then boyfriend/fiancé, I didn’t pay enough attention as to exactly where.
More recently we’ve been able to avoid early morning Narita departures and left from Haneda instead (and enjoying the nightlife isn’t quite the same when accompanied by a child)

APA hotels are pretty grim, even the non smoking rooms absolutely stink of smoke. They are everywhere and if you travel around Japan you’ll end up staying in them and wishing you hadn’t.

Doing a similar layover in Narita town I’ve stayed at the Meet Inn Narita, less than 5 mins walk from the station.

The other alternative is to stay at the capsule hotel in the car park opposite terminal 2. The terminals (pre-covid) had some pretty great dining options land side.


if you want to use a credit card to pay for transit you can set up a mobile Suica card and top up from Apple Pay/google pay

https://www.japanlivingguide.net/liv.../mobile-suica/

I'll add to the chorus of people here recommending a stay in Narita town, it's a nice little place to take a break. The APA hotel next to Keisei-Narita station is pretty rancid so I'd recommend against it, the Comfort Hotel and Richmond Hotel are both better. There's a bar nearby called Jet Lag Club - it's got a good selection of beer and whiskey, but worth a visit because it's packed with various bits of airline memorabilia donated by flight crews that tended to frequent the place (at least before the pandemic). I remember a wall full of airline ID lanyards, hopefully it's still there :)

Another benefit of choosing Narita is that there is plenty to enjoy should you just want to collapse on arrival and get up ridiculously early instead.

Narita Park is rather large, amenable to exploration and open 24 hours. So even if you had to be at the airport at, say, 7:30am, you’d have time to do the 15 minute walk up Narita Omotesando (the picturesque main street), wander around the park, enter Narita Temple and the Temple Grounds when these open up at 6am, be back at your hotel for 7am to pick up your bags and then be at the airport (give or take) half an hour later. Might want to take a torch for this though!

I also recommend Richmond Hotel Narita, Jet Lag Club and a stroll along the Naritasan Omotesando Street. You can become a member at Richmond Hotels for free and benefit from a cheaper rate.