yeunganson

There is a free shuttle from JR Meguro to the hotel directly. Comes every 20 minutes during normal hours (10:00 - 10:00pm ish).

If you don't want to wait taxi is also an option.

If you walk, it is a 30 minutes walk.

LAXNRT

The Taxi is 710 Yen from Meguro station. I normally take the Shuttle bus which is not that long of a wait, as said before a maximum 20 mins but I normally get lucky and get there right before the bus leaves.

wendySFO

Thanks yeunganson and LAXNRT. Found some more info about where to board the shuttle, looks like it is near the taxi parking lot.

LivninSC

It is in the taxi parking lot. I don't recall there being any signs saying there will be a shuttle coming so don't worry if you don't see one. If you exit the train station and see taxis and behind them a McDonalds than you're in the right spot! It will turn right from the street in to the taxi parking spot and pick you up. It'll likely be a red or purple (mauve??) shuttle bus.

wendySFO

Thanks LivninSC. Great details and useful info. Thanks!

Pitero

I'm just reading on their website that

"Breakfast Service at Cafe California is No Longer Available.
Effective June 1, 2011, the breakfast service at Cafe California will not be offered until further notice."

They used to have two nice set breakfast choices (Western & Japanese incl. Natto), free for platinums.

I would hope they still do offer free breakfast for platinums. Especially since I don't really recall breakfast places / cafes near the hotel.

mahasamatman

I guess I'll find out Friday...

wendySFO

Just stayed at the hotel, some random notes...

- Hotel shuttle pick up at Meguro station is on the side of East Exit, adjacent to the taxi stand where people wait for taxi. There is a police station at the corner. I came from the Shinjuku side, exit from the "Main Exit", which need to cross street to the shuttle pickup. If come from Shinagawa side, the exit from platform will lead you to the East/West exit. There are three shuttles I saw in the parking lot, they are dark red, dark purple and light purple colors with big Sheraton sign so can't miss it.

- Sheraton Miyako Tokyo is currently under power saving mesures. What I can see is some reduced operation hours, some facility closure (Califonia Restaurant) and very weak AC, especially in room. This mesures will continue till Sept 22nd, 2011. Tokyo is very hot and humid right now but guess everyone need to chip in for power shortage.

- Breakfast is served in Shisen Restaurant, drink is served at Bamboo lounge. Complimentary for Plat.

- Bamboo lounge has smoking and non-smoking section. It is an open lounge, connected with the entrance hall, can smell the smoke at the most far away side of the lounge. It is a very nice lounge and seems good list of drink menu, would be perfect if it is smoke free.

- Had a upgrade to a corner room looking toward the residential side. The room seems little bigger than regular room by looking at the floor plan but pretty cramp with a king bed, a couch, a desk, and TV/Entertainment stand. Bathroom has good space with shower over tub. Still wired Internet in room.

- Hotel and room in general is in ok condition. Some places do show maintenance is overdue.

- The garden in the back of the hotel is really an oasis. Do wear long pants though to avoid bug bites. I noticed some sign says "Sheraton Miyako Tokyo Hotel and Resort", guess the resort part is probably from the garden.

- Every staff encountered are very nice and helpful, a very well run hotel in general. Location is a bit inconvenience but shuttle helps.

The Narita Express seems not run at the full capacity right now. The hotel concierge mentioned she was at Shinagawa station and hear the announcement there the next Narita Express was cancelled. So her advise was to take the Limobus.

Pitero

Thanks wendySFO. Very helpful info, also regarding N'Express. Glad to hear free breakfast for plat. is still in place. I wonder if other Starwood properties in Tokyo/Yokohama are similarly affected by power saving measures (e.g. re room AC). Haven't read anything on their announcements sections.

Captain Canuck

I just finished a 6 night stay here and WendySFO sums it up pretty nicely. The drinks in the lounge for Plats starts at 10am, but alcohol starts at 5pm (till 8). Service once they know you are a plat is hit and miss . Advise you avoid the Cheeseburger here - after eating in the hotel all week, I decided to try it - lots of better choices on the menu

Wireless Internet is available on B1 by the escalators (from a conference room) - strong signal if you want to load up the Iphone before heading out for the day.

You can ask to have a fan delivered to your room to help enhance the low AC. It was very hot last week, yet the room was still quite comfortable.

Agree that staff are very good here and the location is quite convenient for access to transit. Price is also quite reasonable when compared to other Tokyo SPG properties.

CC

yeunganson

I just returned for a week and half stay in Tokyo and Tochigi area.

I had 3 stays Sheraton Miyako Tokyo in the week and half. During the my stay in Japan, Tokyo got hit with a heat wave reaching 35 degrees celsius.

Some comments. The Sheraton hotel was trying to save electricity by cutting down air condition strength in most hotel rooms.

The first stay, I was placed a corner room next to the emergency exit. Coming from 20 degrees Vancouver, the room was still too warm to sleep comfortably. It felt like it was at 26 - 28 degrees. When check out, I told staff the room was too hot - didn't know I can get a fan.

The 2nd stay, I was placed in the room next to the corner room. Again, Tokyo was reaching the 35 degrees (last weekend). I turned the air conditioning switch to 18 degrees but the weak air con was unable to cool the room. The sun rays going through the window hits the floor and you can feel the carpet releasing heat. (thus I shut the curtains). At check out, I again stress to staff room was too hot.

The 3rd stay, I saw the front desk staff attempt to give me the a room on the 7th floor (places I stayed before). Then she might have read my previously stayed comments and then quickly repalced me into another room on the 11th floor. I was placed in their 11th floor - 1150 exactly. The room definately feels new and renovated. They seem to have a manual controlled air condition. Set the switch to 18. Room temperature cooled to 20 degrees while outside temperature of 30 degrees. I was very greatful to the hotel staff of giving me this room - it was infact one of the best rooms that I ever had as platinum in this hotel. I gave the front desk staff the "platinum thank you certs" for giving me that room.

There are other side comments I have. Trains are running with slightly less powerful air conditioning but it is not too noticible. Malls and shopping centers however have a very noticible weak air conditioning. I was still sweating inside a department store - felt like 26 degrees. Outdoors, it was brutial. Temperature was hot and humid so sweat stuck on my skin and clothes - reminds me of my summer high school days in Hong Kong. Some stores cut air condition out completely. Some resturants set their air condition to close to 28 degrees. The news I got was this will continue for the next 2 summers.

If you can't take the heat, don't visit Tokyo or their northern area..... Southern Japan like Osaka (with different incompatible electicity system than Tokyo area) has no electicity problems and life goes on normally down there.

wendySFO

There is a notice paper in the hotel room about the power saving measure. Apparently it started on July 1st. I didn't know about it until my stay, didn't see anything on their website.

In my trip to Tokyo this time, I also stayed at Hilton Tokyo but didn't noticed anything that impact guests. Hilton is a larger hotel so they may have other ways to reduce power consumption that don't have to be noticeable by guests?

The power saving situation is probably already for a while. I was in transit at NRT early June, noticed some stores at the NRT posted a note about in power saving mode.

mahasamatman

One note about the hotel facilities. They have a clinic in the basement. Very handy if you need it, but I hope the rest of you never do.

Braindrain

Just wondering if anyone can comment about the breakfast at Shisen? On the website, it says it's a Chinese resto but was wondering if there were more choices for breakfast.

mahasamatman

It's basically a Western breakfast. As I recall, there were only one or two Chinese items.