winterny

Hello,

I am thinking about staying at either the Westin Tokyo or the Park Hyatt Tokyo, and wanted to hear some experiences with the Westin Tokyo. What are upgrades like as a SPG Platinum? I'll be staying on a cheap rate, so what's the cheap rooms like if i don't get the upgrade? Other than a possible upgrade, what else does SPG Plat get you here?

Thanks

Raffles

You are better at the Grand Hyatt if you are on holiday. I stayed at both the GH and Westin in March on vacation, three nights at Hyatt and 2 at the Westin. There is nothing wrong with the Westin at all, except that the GH is brand new, architecturally amazing and is built in the middle of a huge shopping / restaurant complex. The PH is a business hotel in a business area. Both the PH and Westin are a 10 minute walk from a metro station.

If you do an advanced search under my handle and the keyword Tokyo in this thread and the Hyatt one, you should find my observations.

Chicago_Villa

I used to stay at the Westin Tokyo 2 or three times a year (back 8 years ago or so), but the last couple of years, my visits to Japan have been limited.

I used to think the Westin was one of the best hotels I had stayed in, but my last 2 or three visits there have been disappointing. Maybe my expectations have increased, but the level of service has also declined.

I have had cases where my room has been cancelled without me ever doing the cancellation, and on each of the last 4 visits, my guaranteed king size bed has disappeared at check in !!! Never got an upgrade, and it is really expensive there too (then again I guess that is Tokyo for you !!!).

sorry, I havent stayed in the Hyatt

Y'z

PH has the best view, amenities and rooms among 5 star hotels in Tokyo.
In fact, even though the location is not so convenient for tourlists, most Japanese think that PH is the best hotel in Japan.
Westin is still good but hasnt reached the same stage.
As a plt, you will normally get an executive room which comes with continental breakfast, evening cooktail and health club access.
It didnt have a club lounge, so guest usually had a breakfast in the restaurant and a cooktail in the bar. However, they are now renovating the executive floor rooms adding the executive lounge. I dont know what they would give you. If I were you with Hyatt diamond, I would take PH. They will give you their amazing spa access which normally cost guests about $35 a day and continental breakfast in your room. If you will spend most of time in the hotel, PH is better choice.

yeunganson

This is my 1st post on FlyerTalk. I think I will start by going through the review of some of my experience. Please note that I am only a Gold Preferred Guest with Starwood so maybe Platium Members will get better treatment than I did. I am Canadian so the money '$' means Canadian dollars while "yen" means Japanese Yen.


Westin Tokyo
Price: Price range is 25000 - 35000 Yen ($250 - 350) per night depending on the season. I have stayed in this hotel around 5 times since January. It one of the most expensive Starwood Properties I have stayed in. It is definately more expensive than Le Meridien Pacific Tokyo Hotel (see next review)

Location: The property is located in Ebisu, one of the upper scale areas in Tokyo. It is about 15 min walking distance from the closest JR Ebisu Train Station. It is also close to the famous Shibuya shopping district and Ropponji (the area where there is a higher population of western visitors). The location is better than Le Meridien Pacific Tokyo Hotel. There are shuttle buses that goes to and from the airport and the hotel.

Rooms: This is where your money went. The room I got (which is the standard room/non-executive room on a high 'perfered floor') is similar to the ones above average sized room in North America but considered big in Japan. The hotel is equiped with the Westin's Heavenly Bed. There are the latest issues of current affair magazines (such as TIME and Newsweek) free for you to take in your room. There is a 28 inch LCD TV in each room and connecting sound systems into the bathroom so you can listen to, say, CNN while you're brushing your teeth. The bathroom is big with an oversized bathtub and a seperate shower. However, the awesome North America double shower head that I love most is missing. You get a weak shower. To their credit, the toilet has a heated toilet pad (perfered rooms only) that could keep your ... warm when you use the toilet. The heated toilet seat also provides functions of cleansing your ... with warm water. I have not seen such heated toilet pads in North America.

Lobby & Hotel Food: The lobby is big and pretty relaxing which is what I like. There are some resturants in the hotel but they are not cheap. There is a decent buffet in the resturant in the lobby. They serve North American breakfast and western dinner that is above average in North America standard but not great (I define "excellent" as like the Bellagio Buffet in Vegas). Their Caesar Salad is a salad with an egg in it. This is one of the rare areas that I could eat a North American Caesar Salad in Japan.

Gold Memeber Upgrade Chances: none. On my last visit, the receiption told me that they don't upgrade golds. I find that blunt statement discouraging. I feel that I am not valued as a customer although I stayed 5 times in 2 months in the same hotel. I got downgraded once by given a non-prefered floor in the lower levels which doesn't have a heated toliet pad nor the complement magazines.

Conclusion: Although the rooms are well-equipped, I still don't find this hotel a good value. The honest and blunt comment from the staff shows their policy does not try to appreciate Gold members. The staff however are very friendly and helpful. Unless there is decrease in price in this hotel, I am unlikely going to stay in it again next time I visit Tokyo.


Le Meridien Pacific Tokyo
Price: 16000 - 23000 Yen ($160 - $230) per night. The price of this hotel is about $100 cheaper per night than Westin Tokyo. It is an average price that I pay for stays in North America.

Location: It is in front of Shinagawa Train Station. So it is about 5 minutes walk from hotel to the train station. This is both good and bad. It is convient in a sense that you can get onto the train easily, but the hotel location is further away to areas like Shibuya and Ropponji than Westin Tokyo is. So the total time needed to get to Shibuya and Ropponji would be similar wether you stay in Westin Tokyo or Le Meridien Pacific Tokyo. The bad part is also because it is in front of the train station. Whenever you leave your hotel, there are lots of people. It is like the images you see on TV of Tokyo, you will feel it here. Airport shuttle bus avilable.

Rooms: I booked the standard double bed room. This is also where you find why this hotel is on average $100/night cheaper than Westin Tokyo. The room is considered below standard (but not small) in North American Standard and average in Japan standard. There is no LCD TV, just a standard non-flat screen TV. The bathtub and shower is combined. The bathroom is small. The beds are a single sized bed that fits one. Westin gives you two double sized beds. Also the beds are no heavely beds. In fact, it was not very comfortable. I can clearly feel the springs in the matress. I got an average sleep. I think the beds are one level below the Best Western Beds you get in North America.

Lobby & Food: There is a TGI Friday in the hotel. To me, this is the best feature. It is hard to eat a proper North American steak or ribs in Japan. I am glad to report they stay true to the unlimited refills of pop and the North American sized ribs and the proper Caesar Salad. There Nachos, however, are not the North American ones. You only get 6 chips covered with strange stuff. As for the lobby, you would think returning to your hotel would shield you from the crowded sidewalks outside. However, lobby itself is a zoo during day time. Lots of people and noisy. The lobby is not a place where you can relax easliy.

Gold Memeber Upgrade Chances: so far none. I have stayed only once. Upgrade means giving you a higher floor and face the train station. No free bottle water in the room nor anything that suggests special treatment.

Conclusion: I seem to lean towards this hotel over Westin Tokyo due to the value if I am in transit. I am willing to sacrifice a little sleep and use the $100 saved for other things. However, if I am on vacation, then Westin Tokyo seems a better choice.

Update (August, 06): I stayed in Le Meridien Pacific Tokyo twice this month. I had some disappointments to report. The hotel did not upgrade me in both occasions. Furthermore, Starpoints were not awarded for the food charges in the Hotel's TGI Friday's in both occasions. In the past, they didn't do so and I thought they forgot. I was eventually credited after submitting the hotel receipts to SPG last time. When I wrote to the hotel manager about no starpoints for hotel resturants and lack of Gold recongition, I got a written reply saying the staff are still training to join the SPG culture and may not know the benifits of Gold and Plat members. Also, he insisted that food charges from TGI Friday's is not eligable for Starpoints. I have submitted the receipts to SPG and would follow-up with (and maybe 'educate') the manager once those points are granted.

Update (October, 06): I stayed in this hotel twice this month so far. The 1st time was a Gold member and the front desk gave me a very crummy single bed 'prefered room' (to their credit, it was on a more upper floor - 19th floor). There are over 25 floors in this hotel. I used my points to upgrade to better rooms, the 1000 point upgrade gave me a still crummy room ( a double bed instead of a single bed) with a better view. I stormed down to the front desk to demand better treatment and they took 500 points extra from my account (total of 1500 starpoints taken) and gave me a bigger room with 2 double beds. I used to get this kind of room when I first came to this hotel. It seems the more I stay, the worse I get treated. (and they have my record too and I am sure they know how many times I have stayed). The points were NOT posted for a week.
The 2nd stay was exactly 7 days after my previous stay, and now I am a newly minted Platinum. The front desk reconized me since I was the trouble maker 7 days ago. I questioned why my points were not posted yet and now they saw me as a Plat member. They quickly went into the back room and get it posted right away. I had low expectations on how they would treat me since 7 days ago, I was given a single bed crummy room and that was suppose to be the 'prefered' room. I thought maybe the best room I get is the one I had before with 2 double beds and a nice view. The 'hotel special' welcome kit was 2 stuffed puppy dogs. (I should have chosen the points) To my surprise, I was assigned to a suite. The suite is twice the size of a regular room and I was very impressed. I was also given breakfast coupons for the hotel buffet. When I checked out, the points were credited 2 days later - the fastest I have seen for this hotel (normally is 5 days when I was Gold). I was completely shocked about the difference of treatment between Gold and Platinum members. If these upgrades happen often wherever I stay with Starwood, I think I am going to put effort in remaining in Platinum level for good.

Westin Osaka
Price: 17000 - 20000 Yen ($170 - $200)/ night. This is the average price and fair price I pay for Westin in North America. I stayed during the Golden Week holiday in Japan. It seems the price don't change even during the peak season.

Location: It is located about 15 minutes walk to the JR Osaka train station. The hotel provides a free shuttle bus to and from the train station. It is a semi-convient location towards major areas. Osaka is more spread out than Tokyo so you will be spending more travel time and cost on train rides. There are not a lot of people around the hotel and the atmosphere is quite relaxing in that area.

Rooms: The room I got was an normal 2 bed room on the executive floor. The room size is similar to the one of Westin Tokyo -above average sized room in North America but considered big in Japan. The hotel is equiped with the Westin's Heavenly Bed. The TV is a 28 inch Flat Screen (no LCD TV). There are connecting sound systems into the bathroom so you can listen to sports while you're in the bathroom. The bathroom is big with an oversized bathtub and a seperate shower. However, the awesome North America double shower head that I love most is again missing. You get a weaker shower. You do get the heated toilet pad.

Lobby & Hotel Food:
The lobby is relaxing. Not a lot of people walking around and there is no crowding feeling. Staff are friendly and says high to you when they see you. Bow at you when they meet you at the elevator and holds the elevator door open and wait until you exit before they exit. As for food...
1) Executive Lounge. Ate there once. Breakfast was a free buffet. More of a European breakfast. You can of course stuff yourself. Normal drinks (tea, pop etc) are free all day in the lounge. You get one free alcoholic drink per day but then you may need to pay. I don't know if they use the honorary system or someone will record how much you drink. I was out touring the city during the 'happy hours'.
2) Japanese Resturant. Ate at the hotel's Japanese resturant for breakfast once. It is 4000 yen ($40) for non-executive room members. $20 for executive room members. Expensive is the proper word to use. As a torusit, I need to have enough energy to walk/ train around the city for about 10 -14 hours. The Japanese breakfast put much effort on the display of the food but not on the amount of food. You get some rice, some fish some ginger, some soup and some tofu, some raw fish eggs and raw fish. Though light and healthy but it doesn't really fill you up. I am Chinese-Canadian so the food tastes familiar to homemade Chinese food (excluding the raw fish and fish eggs). I would not eat there again since I didn't feel full after breakfast.
3) Lobby's Buffet
Ate there once. Free for the executive-room. An standard North American breakfast but grand in Japanese standard. Pop, however, is not free and there are more people walking around to get food than in the executive lounge. The variety is only slightly better than the executive lounge. I perfer the executive lounge due to the relaxing surroundings, the great view of the city and free pop and bottled water.

Gold Memeber Upgrade Chances: unknown. I called spg to use my points to get the upgrade to executive floor. Others can comment on the success. Also, the starwood points are credited incorrectly and the printed reciept, unlike all other Westin hotels I have been to, has no indication of how many points I earned. I have to send in my Hotel Filo/ printed receipt to spg and hope I get the correct credits.

Conclusion: Good value. Recommended. Good experience. Would come again.



Sharaton Sapporo Hotel
Price: 8000 Yen ($80) per night. The cheapest and the best value Starwood property that I have ever stayed in.

Location: It is located about 5 minutes walk to the JR Shin Sapporo train station. It is a one train station from downtown Sapporo - a very convient location towards major areas. There are not a lot of people around the hotel and the atmosphere is very relaxing in that area. There is a average size shoping mall at the train staion.

Rooms: The room I booked was the one double bed room. I got upgraded to a 2 double bed room. To my surprise, there was a personalized card written by the manager on the desk. This is by far the best thing ever happened to me in Starwood stays in Japan. Among all my stays with Starwood, this is the 2nd time I recieved such welcome and I want to thank General Manager Hiro Yamamoto for such attention to detail. The room size is considred an average sized room in North America but considered above average in Japan. The hotel is equiped with the Sheraton's Heavenly Bed. The TV is a 24 inch Flat Screen (no LCD TV). The bathroom is standard with an combined bathtub and shower. You do get the heated toilet pad.

Lobby & Food: There is a hotel bakery that makes French style break. It tasted decent and fresh (important to me). I did not try any hotel resturants during my stay. The lobby is big and relaxing. There is a business center where I used to write emails. Overall a pleasent lobby.

Gold Memeber Upgrade Chances: Often. Apparently, the manager did give me the best empty room (not suite) in the hotel. It was chosen specificlly and the special card was placed in my room in the morning on the day I was suppose to arrive. I booked the 1 bed room and was given a 2 double bed room on the highest floor.

Others: I always fill out the hotel review form and give the hotel comments. Among all my stays with starwood, I only experienced 2 replied. The 1st one was from Sharaton on Niagra Falls and it was a standard apology for their screw up. The 2nd experience is from this hotel. The review I gave was a excellent one and I commented on the nice card. Within a week, I got a persoanlize reply by Secretary Momoe Nakaya and General Manager Hiro Yamamoto thanking me for the response. It was personalized because the letter shows that they have read my comment on the card and further elaberated that they have just changed the features of the card. Furthermore, they offered me their email and phone and they would personally make my reservations if I want to visit next time.

Conclusion: The best value in Japan. The managers attention to detail is amazing. The staff are one of the best I have encountered. The most important I think is the extra effort the manager gave to make me feel I am a valued Starwood Preffered Guest. The Welcome card and the response of my hotel review sheet makes me feel valued and welcome. This stay would definately be one of the best ones I have experienced.

golfteam

Pretty good first post! Have you just been lurking for a year? Just a question on the Westin Tokyo...I am traveling with Mrs Golfteam and 2 teenage daughters to Tokyo and the only 2 hotels I found that could sleep 4 ( double/double) are the Westin Tokyo and the Sheraton Grand Tokyo Bay. I would rather pay more for a nice hotel, but none I know have the 2 large beds. Are the Westin Tokyo beds in fact the same double/double that I would find in US? Thanks.

slackinormackin

As a platinum member I was upgraded to a suite at the Hotel Pacific Tokyo (Im actually currently there as I type this msg).

haplology

Just to add my two yen.

Westin Osaka - I liked it alot. Got a good rate (about $140) off season, and found the service to be excellent. Upgraded to a 21st floor suite with a great view, too. I was only there for a night on business, but it was really easy and pleasant.

Westin Miyako Kyoto - Rooms are variable and run down. There are a bunch of threads on this, but it's true. Kind of a weird hotel. Pretty good location, though, for wandering around Gion and various temples. Not a bad value if you can get it for cheap, but don't expect a great hotel.

yeunganson

I have been reading posts for a year but didn't really contribute. After getting some benifits off of FlyerTalk, I feel I should give some back. Therefore, I opened this thread.

As for the Hotels you try to compare, I have this to say. Sheraton Grand Tokyo Bay Hotel is not in Tokyo. It is located in the next state (they call state "prefecture" in Japan) named "Chiba". It is in fact inside Tokyo Disneyland which is NOT in Tokyo. Tokyo Disneyland is in the next prefecture called Chiba.

If you're going to be touring around Tokyo, then Westin would be the safe bet. There is also Le Meridien GRAND Pacific Tokyo Hotel (which is different from Le Meridien Pacific Tokyo of my review) you can consider. I have not tried that hotel yet so I am unsure of quality. It would be nice if someone review that hotel.

Finally, the bed size in Westin Tokyo is similar to the bed sizes in North America double heavenly bed. It will definately fit two children on 1 bed. I am 130 pounds and 175cm. The Westin double bed can fit two people my size in 1 bed no problem. Also, Westin Tokyo is now (after 1st week of May) off season so the price is amoung the cheaper ones of the year currently standing at 25000 yen per night.

iahphx

What you need at this property is a "deluxe" room. Even on cash & points, they will give it to you for an extra 1,000 points. Well worth it, of course. They may also be willing to then give you executive lounge privileges for another 500 points (definitely worth that!).

If you are paying for the room, I'm not sure how much more the deluxe rooms cost, or whether a gold card would get you upgraded.

derpelikan

i have stayed in all tokyo SPG Properties and i am not satisfied with the hotels.

the meridiens are OK if you are a Platinum, you will get the upgrade to a suite. the westin tends to not upgrade to a suite, and the rooms looking old and cheap.
the grand meridien is stinky with upgrades, they are not giving PLATINUM suite upgrades even if the suites are free. etc.
the meridien pacific is upgrading to a suite every time if avaiable.

for all the japanese SPG properties i can give you the following advice, use a SPG50 and book a junior suite. the price will go down to 30000 yen or less with a SPG50. this is the best for a family.

dp

mesadler

Not necessarily true for all rooms. Stayed there last week in a nice, new room on the 7th floor with a great bathroom. I'm a plat, but it was Golden Week and I was using points.

So...some of the rooms have been upgraded.

iahphx

Yes, the room type has to say "deluxe" to be nice. There are apparently some bad rooms at the hotel. If you're in a deluxe room, you'll never notice this problem.

Houston Cowboy

[QUOTE=derpelikan]i have stayed in all tokyo SPG Properties and i am not satisfied with the hotels.]

END QUOTE

The Westin Tokyo is an excellent hotel

I recently stayed in The Westin Tokyo and found it to be one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in.

I had a suite with a fantastic view, the Japanese breakfast was amazing and the hotel has BMW bicycles which I hired to cycle around town.

The service from the concierge and club lounge staff was excellent.

I will be back!

derpelikan

[QUOTE=Houston Cowboy]very nice that you liked the hotel.
i got a super nice suite (big suite) too last time, and i got a extra room addet so we could stay with 4 persons.

but i did not like the old rooms.

the service is ok, but the lounge and other things did not satisfy me.

but glad to hear you liked this hotel.

but if you liked this hotel, there are some hotels which are 10 x better in tokyo. may be you want to try one of these next time.

dp