Kagehitokiri

so dlx + dlx corner ¥129K
(> dlx park view room + executive suite)
through virtuoso beats winter escapes package

but winter escapes package also offers
dlx park room + exec suite ¥162K
(> grand dlx room + dlx suite)

which is not possible through virtuoso? (upgrade from exec suite)

RichardInSF

The reason I would not consider the FS Chinzan-so is your 80 y.o. mother. It's far from any public transit stop and the nearest ones require either a 25 minute walk for normally able people or a slightly shorter walk that is very uphill returning to the hotel. So you'd have to get a taxi to and from the hotel every time you left or arrived.

Kakjapan

All comments and suggestions have been extremely helpful. We are now leaning more to the Peninsula, with the MO in second place. And the FSM hanging in there...

One thing that I'm sort of stuck on is the airport greeting service offered by the FSM. I love the idea that someone will meet my mother at the airport and help her get the NEX ticket and get her on the train, and then she'll be met at Tokyo station and escorted to the FSM. It's me being lazy, basically...I don't much want to trek out to NRT if I don't have to. But, that's not a reason to pick a hotel, I know.

Do the other choices offer such a service?

Kagehitokiri

or are there any independent companies that offer similar services?

jtrader

I'd consider springing for MK Taxi. Great limo service for about JPY18,000. They will be waiting with a sign outside customs and provide door to door service.

Kagehitokiri

http://www.tokyomk.com/eng/e_skytaxi.html

http://www.meetextra.com/
might offer immigration fasttrack as well

MO only talks about limo transfers here
http://www.mandarinoriental.com/toky...etting_around/

same with Pen
http://tokyo.peninsula.com/ptk/information_01.html

at their rates

aa4ever

GHT does allow kids under 12 in the club.

I'd also pass on the FS CS b/c of the location. It's just too far out. I almost stayed there a while back, then decided against it at the last moment.

GadgetFreak

I would say not the Grand Hyatt. While nice, having stayed at both, it isnt in the same class as Seiyo Ginza. I was surprised that there were bad reviews of the latter. I havent stayed at the Pen in Tokyo but I thought that the service at Seiyo Ginza was quite a bit better than the Pen in Bangkok.

grumbler

I think the rap against the Seiyo is due to decor and facilities, and not service. The service experience at the GHT improves dramatically at the Club level - and pretty much that is the way to go if staying at that hotel. I have often seen kids in the Club, by the way.

GadgetFreak

I did stay at the club level. Very nice hotel, I just thought the overall experience, because of the service and room size, was much less the Seiyo Ginza. We had a walk in closet at Seiyo Ginza, and the room was much larger than at the Hyatt.

grumbler

That may be the case - the Seiyo was one of the few boutique hotels in Tokyo for many years, and for that time, ruled the roost in that bracket.

aa4ever

Perhaps because I've always had a large room or a suite at the GHT, but my experiences there have always been top-notch. I have found the rooms excellently appointed and spacious (again, this is probably b/c of the type of room category I have), and the service almost always spot-on (with a minimal lapse a couple times but I've stayed here a lot). I think their facilities are impressive, and their food and beverage quality very high. Service has always been very personalized for me, much more so than some smaller hotels. This is not to say that there are not better hotels in Tokyo (which there probably are), but I always enjoy the GHT and really can't imagine staying anywhere else. Plus, I do love the Club there...

As for the Seiyo Ginza, I looked at that for my next trip, but it really just didn't appeal to me. It was actually significantly cheaper than the GHT, but that may have just been b/c of the particular dates.

Kakjapan

Looks like we'll go with the Peninsula.

Just a note on the Grand Hyatt...the prices I'm seeing are are ¥20,000 and up higher per night than the Peninsula for rooms of comparable size, and the decor looks a bit spartan to me. If it were less expensive, I'd consider it, but for more money it doesn't seem to me to be a good value.

yhishikawa

I recently stayed at the FS Marunouchi. The small hotel (lobby on the 7th floor and the rooms are on the floors below) is centrally located and very close to Tokyo Station. Cabs are easily accessible and Ginza is a short walking distance away. The service was impeccable. We were very happy with our stay there. Modern rooms.

FS Chinzansou is in a inconvenient location and the design is dated. Grand Hyatt Tokyo is in a cool area (near Roppongi) and also semi-attached to the Roppongi Hills mall - the standard rooms were small but well-appointed. Modern rooms. Park Hyatt, although located in Shinjuku, is in the not so fun part of Shinjuku. Hope this helps.

Kagehitokiri

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thanks for the post.