Mar 5, 2018, 8:01 pm
Last edit by: SkiAdcock
Marriott-family hotels in "xx" means all Marriott brand hotels in that city. It does not mean hotels that are family friendly, although there could be some family friendly ones on the list. But it refers to the various brands. Marriott-family hotels in XX usually have posts asking which property is better, etc, & trip reports are usually in the property specific threads."
Pre-2019 - Marriott-family hotels in Tokyo, Japan
Jan 2, 2018, 2:50 am
#556
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,436
I'm trying to decide between the Prince Sakura Tower and Yokohama Bay Sheraton for a future 7-night award stay. We're quite comfortable with the Japanese subway and train systems, so I consider both hotels to have reasonable locations.
.Does anyone have experience with both and have recommendations?
.
- Cost (in SPG): Prince Sakura 80K, Sheraton 72K
- Room size: 495 sqft for both
- Panoramic corner room for Sheraton
- Lounge access with Prince Sakura
- I believe Prince Sakura will guarantee a non-smoking room
Crossposting is discouraged on Flyertalk.
May 1, 2018, 1:35 am
#557
Join Date: Jan 2014
Programs: Krisflyer, hyatt GP
Posts: 186
Marriott Tokyo or Courtyard Ginza
Planning to stay 5 nights with family (3 rooms), which one better between Courtyard Ginza vs Marriott Tokyo in terms of room size, room interior, location (proximity to restaurants, train station)?
Also, how does the property treat gold member?
Also, how does the property treat gold member?
Last edited by Bidu; May 1, 2018 at 1:40 am
May 1, 2018, 2:13 am
#558
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,166
Other points, I would say the Marriott wins.
May 1, 2018, 3:42 pm
#559
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 34
Courtyard Ginza is great when it comes to location but the rooms and bathrooms are a bit on the tinier side. Stayed at Prince Sakura before and thought it was pretty decent.... location isn't as central as Ginza of course.
Jun 11, 2018, 12:13 pm
#560
Join Date: Sep 2002
Programs: Marriott Ambassador elite & lifetime Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, Emirates Plat, Flying Blue Plat
Posts: 236
Currently staying at the Prince Sakura on points (160K for 5 nights) and have enough data for a review.
Location
Prince Sakura is not in any of the hot spots of the city, but the Shinawaga JR station, which has the Yamanote line, is a 5 min walk away.
The Yamanote line is probably the best of the JR lines in the city, it is a circular loop that goes to all the top areas for tourism: Shibuya, Shinjuku, Akihabara, Tokyo station, ...
As a reference, it takes 20 min from the front door of the hotel to Shibuya station.
The hotel is surrounded by some vegetation, which gives the feeling of being really away from the buzz of the city. Good for relaxation.
There are a couple of 24/7 convenience stores just outside the Shinagawa station, which is practical if you arrive late to the hotel by train, after a night in the city.
Shinagawa station itself has a few shops and plenty of restaurants, but they must close around 8-9pm.
Lobby / Check-in area
The entrance of the hotel is on an uphill street (away from the train station). There is a short passage and then lobby area after a glass door.
The lobby definitely has some Japanese style touches. It is modern and spacious but at the same time, it feels like you are in Japan the moment you step in.
There are a few chairs for guests to wait. Also a large check-in desk and a concierge on the side. Basically what you would expect from any hotel.
A corridor going from the lobby takes you to the elevators, maybe 100-150 m away. The business center and the lounge are on the left of that corridor, and Cliliego, an Italian restaurant where they serve breakfast too, is on the right.
Room
I was given a Tower side Deluxe room. My first impression when I walked into the room was good but not great.
The room is spacious, it has a very wide king bed, a large desk, two small sofas with a round table in between the two.
There is a bathroom with shower and bathtub (it seems to have a jacuzzi function, have not tried it), and a separate WC smallish room. I guess it is convenient to have a separate closed WC. I have seen it in some countries. But those rooms are always very small and feel a bit claustrophobic.
The view from this room is very good. It is on the top floor (14th) with views of the surrounding vegetation, and further away, the Tokyo tower.
The room ticks all the boxes, it has everything it is supposed to have, however if felt short of my initially high expectations: the decoration is a bit plain and boring, certainly not luxurious, it lacks any sort of accent and it looks a bit outdated.
The bed was very comfortable and the room was very silent at night.
All in all, as I mentioned in the beginning, good but not great.
Lounge
Located on the ground floor. The lounge access key (I got one at checkin) opens a black sliding door, and reveals a cozy lounge. Maybe 10-15 tables overall distributed in 3 areas. And some sofas too.
They serve breakfast from 6:30am - 10am, tea and soft drinks from 10 to 5:30pm, then alcoholic drinks and some snacks and small bites from 5:30pm. They close at 9:30pm.
It is quite convenient and the quality is good. It was quite busy both times I went in, for breakfast, and around 8.30pm.
Facilities/Spa
Outside gardens are very nice. I have not tried spa, gym, etc. I never do.
Service
Things have not functioned smoothly for me. There has been several glitches, so either I have been unlucky, or there is some broader issue here. I don't know which of the two.
At check-in, they assigned me a room with two beds, when my preference as per my profile and booking is a King bed - it shows they had not cared to prepare in advance. When I said I would not like a twin room, they assigned me a king bed.
At breakfast, the lounge was very crowded, they asked me to wait. Another couple was waiting too. After a few minutes of making us wait, they asked us to have breakfast in the main restaurant area. Well solved, but why not send us straight to the restaurant if that was the solution, instead of making us wait?
And then the last one: after a late night flight, I stay in the room with DND light on till late (around 4pm). When I leave the room, I turn on the light to 'make up my room'. When I arrive back to the hotel at 12:30am , the room has not been serviced. I call room service, and they say I had the DND all day. I explain it is not the case, but there is clearly a communication barrier. The shift manager comes to meet me and tells me that unfortunately there is no staff available to service my room, and that they will clean it up in the morning. He mentions that the DND light was on: I explain again that it was on till 4pm, after that, I had the 'make up my room' light. It is clear that nobody noticed the Make up My room light after 4pm, and that nobody attempted turn-down service either, because they would have noticed.
In summary, they fail to clean up the room while I am away, and they fail to solve the issue when I raise it because 'it is too late' and there is no staff available at this time (12:30am). Disappointing.
Elite recognition
I am Platinum Elite. I booked the room on points. I arrive at the hotel at 8:30pm.
No 'thank you for being Platinum' or similar at checkin. Fine, it is a nice touch but not essential. I do not care.
Standard rooms are 'Deluxe'. I got 'upgraded' to a Tower Side Deluxe. No corner room. No Premier. No Suite.
I was asked to choose a welcome gift, either points (I think 500) or an amenity. I choose 2 bottles of Perrier, and 4 chocolates.
They tell me the breakfast will be at the lounge, and they give me lounge access keys.
They ask me at what time I want to check out. I say my flight is at 10pm. They say as a Platinum Elite I can check out at 4pm. Ok, standard treatment...
When in my room, they bring a small basket with fruit and a note from the manager to welcome me to the hotel. That's nice.
Overall: I did not have to 'fight' for Platinum Elite benefits, they gave them straight away, but they gave the bare minimum. The 'upgraded' room from Deluxe to Deluxe with a view felt almost like no upgrade.
Overall
This is one of the best options for Marriott-family hotels in Tokyo after excluding the most luxurious (and expensive) properties. I had an issue with the service quality (see above), but given I have not seen any other reports with issues on service, I would say I have been unlucky. It happens. But I am not happy about how it did not get resolved.
Location
Prince Sakura is not in any of the hot spots of the city, but the Shinawaga JR station, which has the Yamanote line, is a 5 min walk away.
The Yamanote line is probably the best of the JR lines in the city, it is a circular loop that goes to all the top areas for tourism: Shibuya, Shinjuku, Akihabara, Tokyo station, ...
As a reference, it takes 20 min from the front door of the hotel to Shibuya station.
The hotel is surrounded by some vegetation, which gives the feeling of being really away from the buzz of the city. Good for relaxation.
There are a couple of 24/7 convenience stores just outside the Shinagawa station, which is practical if you arrive late to the hotel by train, after a night in the city.
Shinagawa station itself has a few shops and plenty of restaurants, but they must close around 8-9pm.
Lobby / Check-in area
The entrance of the hotel is on an uphill street (away from the train station). There is a short passage and then lobby area after a glass door.
The lobby definitely has some Japanese style touches. It is modern and spacious but at the same time, it feels like you are in Japan the moment you step in.
There are a few chairs for guests to wait. Also a large check-in desk and a concierge on the side. Basically what you would expect from any hotel.
A corridor going from the lobby takes you to the elevators, maybe 100-150 m away. The business center and the lounge are on the left of that corridor, and Cliliego, an Italian restaurant where they serve breakfast too, is on the right.
Room
I was given a Tower side Deluxe room. My first impression when I walked into the room was good but not great.
The room is spacious, it has a very wide king bed, a large desk, two small sofas with a round table in between the two.
There is a bathroom with shower and bathtub (it seems to have a jacuzzi function, have not tried it), and a separate WC smallish room. I guess it is convenient to have a separate closed WC. I have seen it in some countries. But those rooms are always very small and feel a bit claustrophobic.
The view from this room is very good. It is on the top floor (14th) with views of the surrounding vegetation, and further away, the Tokyo tower.
The room ticks all the boxes, it has everything it is supposed to have, however if felt short of my initially high expectations: the decoration is a bit plain and boring, certainly not luxurious, it lacks any sort of accent and it looks a bit outdated.
The bed was very comfortable and the room was very silent at night.
All in all, as I mentioned in the beginning, good but not great.
Lounge
Located on the ground floor. The lounge access key (I got one at checkin) opens a black sliding door, and reveals a cozy lounge. Maybe 10-15 tables overall distributed in 3 areas. And some sofas too.
They serve breakfast from 6:30am - 10am, tea and soft drinks from 10 to 5:30pm, then alcoholic drinks and some snacks and small bites from 5:30pm. They close at 9:30pm.
It is quite convenient and the quality is good. It was quite busy both times I went in, for breakfast, and around 8.30pm.
Facilities/Spa
Outside gardens are very nice. I have not tried spa, gym, etc. I never do.
Service
Things have not functioned smoothly for me. There has been several glitches, so either I have been unlucky, or there is some broader issue here. I don't know which of the two.
At check-in, they assigned me a room with two beds, when my preference as per my profile and booking is a King bed - it shows they had not cared to prepare in advance. When I said I would not like a twin room, they assigned me a king bed.
At breakfast, the lounge was very crowded, they asked me to wait. Another couple was waiting too. After a few minutes of making us wait, they asked us to have breakfast in the main restaurant area. Well solved, but why not send us straight to the restaurant if that was the solution, instead of making us wait?
And then the last one: after a late night flight, I stay in the room with DND light on till late (around 4pm). When I leave the room, I turn on the light to 'make up my room'. When I arrive back to the hotel at 12:30am , the room has not been serviced. I call room service, and they say I had the DND all day. I explain it is not the case, but there is clearly a communication barrier. The shift manager comes to meet me and tells me that unfortunately there is no staff available to service my room, and that they will clean it up in the morning. He mentions that the DND light was on: I explain again that it was on till 4pm, after that, I had the 'make up my room' light. It is clear that nobody noticed the Make up My room light after 4pm, and that nobody attempted turn-down service either, because they would have noticed.
In summary, they fail to clean up the room while I am away, and they fail to solve the issue when I raise it because 'it is too late' and there is no staff available at this time (12:30am). Disappointing.
Elite recognition
I am Platinum Elite. I booked the room on points. I arrive at the hotel at 8:30pm.
No 'thank you for being Platinum' or similar at checkin. Fine, it is a nice touch but not essential. I do not care.
Standard rooms are 'Deluxe'. I got 'upgraded' to a Tower Side Deluxe. No corner room. No Premier. No Suite.
I was asked to choose a welcome gift, either points (I think 500) or an amenity. I choose 2 bottles of Perrier, and 4 chocolates.
They tell me the breakfast will be at the lounge, and they give me lounge access keys.
They ask me at what time I want to check out. I say my flight is at 10pm. They say as a Platinum Elite I can check out at 4pm. Ok, standard treatment...
When in my room, they bring a small basket with fruit and a note from the manager to welcome me to the hotel. That's nice.
Overall: I did not have to 'fight' for Platinum Elite benefits, they gave them straight away, but they gave the bare minimum. The 'upgraded' room from Deluxe to Deluxe with a view felt almost like no upgrade.
Overall
This is one of the best options for Marriott-family hotels in Tokyo after excluding the most luxurious (and expensive) properties. I had an issue with the service quality (see above), but given I have not seen any other reports with issues on service, I would say I have been unlucky. It happens. But I am not happy about how it did not get resolved.
Jun 11, 2018, 3:44 pm
#561
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,436
4pm is pretty late for a standard room cleaning request. I would definitely inform housekeeping if I were requesting this, and not rely on the light. Sakura Tower is nice, but it is not an Aman.
Jul 18, 2018, 9:45 am
#562
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Formerly of SacTown, Cali
Posts: 1,243
Going to Tokyo with two teens at Xmas time. Probably going to get two rooms. The Prince seems to get a lot of love here but the neighborhood doesn't sound great. Which Marriott location is best?
Jul 18, 2018, 12:49 pm
#563
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Mostly living in the basement
Programs: Newly minted free agent; MR LT(!)TE, HH SE, BA SECM, DL MM, UA PS, 2V Fanboi, CBP GE
Posts: 5,108
Tokyo is a big city, what do you plan on doing? None of the locations are "bad", just some are more convenient than others for certain purposes.
Jul 18, 2018, 8:35 pm
#564
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Formerly of SacTown, Cali
Posts: 1,243
Thank you. My wife gave a long reply to your question but it's all over the board. Where would you recommend for family of four with two teens (boy and girl)?
Last edited by SacTownGuy; Jul 18, 2018 at 9:24 pm
Jul 19, 2018, 2:33 am
#565
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: SJC/BUR
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, IHG Platinum, Hilton Gold, Club Carlson Gold, Starwood Gold
Posts: 1,089
I would say Prince Gallery, Ritz, and the two Courtyards are slightly better situated for a first time tourist. But I think you could be happy at any of the locations of Marriotts or Starwoods (excluding Yokohama and Disney). You have lots of half hour transit times in store no matter where you situate yourself. I just did four nights at the Moxy and at first I thought the location was “bad,” and I ended up liking it just fine.
Jul 19, 2018, 8:07 am
#566
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Rancho Mirage, CA
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 322
If you’re planning on doing day trips out of Tokyo, then the Courtyard Station is a good choice. Tokyo Station is an easy 10 minute walk and will get you anywhere you want to go.
Jul 19, 2018, 3:33 pm
#567
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,598
Even with the many positive comments here about the CY Toyko Station, I think it's still under-rated. It's in a very convenient location. As PLT they kept me very well fed and with western style food that appease teens if they find the local fare challenging. Rooms are ok, but not great. They serve their purpose well.
Jul 20, 2018, 9:32 am
#568
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Bucks County
Programs: UAL GS & Million Miler; Delta Lifetime Gold; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Platinum; Legion Etrangere
Posts: 1,609
Does anyone have comments about the Ritz Carlton in Kyoto?
Jul 20, 2018, 10:26 am
#569
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,110
Jul 20, 2018, 2:49 pm
#570
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: Marriott/Starwood Lifetime Titanium, Hilton HHonors Diamond, IHG Spire, United Premier Silver
Posts: 707
Actually, I think the neighborhood of Prince Gallery is fantastic. It is close to several metro lines and the area surrounding the hotel is nice instead of a zoo. We considered a Westin and Sheraton but were glad we chose the Prince Gallery over those in terms of location (and everything else) because they seemed to be a bit far out. At the Prince Gallery, it is an easy hop on a metro to Tokyo Station, Shinjuku or Shibuya, etc.