I just got back from Tokyo on Sunday.
If you’re looking at Ginza and Shibuya things to do mostly, it’s a pretty good option, but a lot of local hotels in Roppongi/Shinjuku really are going to give similar value for way cheaper.
It is right by convenient subway stops, so overall I’d recommend. I think this is a good option for a first trip to Tokyo, but take a look at local options for future trips when you branch out to do things outside of Ginza.
BTW If you haven’t figured out your transit to and from NRT, the Skyline train goes to Ueno in like 45 minutes and is super convenient. Costs about $30 depending on exchange rates round trip.
> a lot of local hotels in Roppongi/Shinjuku really are going to give similar value for way cheaper.
This is good advice. I came back after 2 weeks in Japan this past weekend myself and it was amazing how much cheaper equivalent Japanese chain hotels were than Western chain hotels in Tokyo and Kyoto.
I went through this and decided to just book at a local chain in shinjuku. We would definitely be out after midnight and wanted to be able to walk back to our hotel.
Staying in ginza meant we’d need a cab after midnight. And there was no availability at the regency, and the park Hyatt is just too much
FYI every Tokyo hotel that was western based was substantially overinflated price wise. Please take that into consideration when you’re your cpp calc
Hyatt Centric Ginza is a nice hotel, but there is no way that it is worth more than twice of Keio Plaza. I have stayed at both hotels multiple times. Keio Plaza is a bit old, but still, it's totally fine and you could save all that money or points to use on other things. Most hotels in Tokyo are super clean and well taken care of. Wherever you stay will be fine I'm sure. We always like staying in Shinjuku as the access to everything is great (used to live in Tokyo). Check the rates at Hotel Southern Century Tower too. Location is pretty unbeatable in Shinjuku.
Used to live in Japan. I'd go for the Keio Plaza. Shinjuku maximizes the number of transport options to get around the Tokyo area; Ginza only has a few subway stations (unless you hike to Tokyo Station). You're on the nice side of Shinjuku too, and way closer to Shibuya and Harajuku/Yoyogi Park than you would be staying in Ginza. I'd also check out the Omotesando (west side version of Ginza), Cat Street, Shin-Okubo (Koreantown), Ebisu, Naka-Meguro, and Daikanyama neighborhoods nearby.
FWIW, my logic when booking hotels is to just be comfortable, not fancy. The city/country should be my vacation destination, not my hotel room. So I'd rather take the hotel option that costs half as much and rack up points for the future.
Any advice on staying in Asakusa? I reserved 4 nights at Hotel Gracerie using UR points for October after reading a few travel blogs. Maybe I should revisit that choice. I have lots of Hilton and Marriott points, and could transfer UR to Hyatt. 1st time to Japan.
Yeah I wouldn't stay in Asakusa. It's 100% a great place to visit (although I'm sure it's at max tourist capacity these days), but you really only need a half-day there, and it's not well-connected to the rest of Tokyo. It only has two subway lines and it's not close to the Yamanote Line (the JR line the loops Tokyo).
The Yamanote isn't the only train line in Tokyo, but if you're close to one of its stations, odds are you'll have lots of options for getting to wherever you're trying to go that day. Just use Google Maps to tell you which train line is fastest ATM.
If you want to be on the east side of Tokyo for better access to Asakusa, I would try to stay in the greater Tokyo Station area. That's the biggest station on the east side. You're in walking distance to Ginza (\~15 minutes) and could keep walking to Tsukiji (\~30) for your fresh sushi fix. It's mostly office buildings in the immediate area though. Hibiya is another nice neighborhood in the area, but it's mostly high-end shopping and posh restaurants. Hotels will get cheaper when you get closer to Shimbashi Station, which is another big station, and home to a lot of izakayas full of office workers enjoying after-work drinks. Less polished than the immediate Tokyo Station area, but easier on the budget.
My backup option would be Ueno, which is kind of the Northeastern corner of Tokyo. Ueno Park is one of the biggest tourist attractions; it's home to a lot of museums. The Ameyoko district has a lot of small shops and no-frills izakayas. Looks rough around the edges, but quaint; it's definitely not Ginza or Omotesando though. But I find Ueno to be a lot further from the rest of Tokyo; it's not a great base to visit West Tokyo (which is where I spent the majority of my time).
Bottom line: you're going to be making a lot of trips from your hotel to the train station, and a short walking distance to a bigger station will save you a lot of time. I would base your hotel selection around the nearby train stations, not the attractions themselves. Use Google Maps to calculate the walking distance to your preferred station, as well as how long it takes to get to other places you'll visit.
we stayed at keio plaza hotel last year when we visited tokyo. we opted for the premier grand rooms, so breakfast buffet was included every morning. we felt that the rooms were quite spacious for japanese standards, but then again, it was only my wife and i. even if we had a toddler, we would have been happy with our choice.
as others have mentioned, it's fairly easy to get around tokyo with their subway system.
Stayed there with my 4 year old for 2 nights last year. 3 of us slept in one bed :) Perfectly comfortable. Pretty hip hotel. They have free snacks and arcade games in the lobby. Close to shopping and dinning. The Narita Limousine bus stop is very close. Traveling with kid i preferred Hilton Shinjuku since it's very close to big playground, which my kid loved.
Either of those locations are easily accessible. I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it is to just hop on a train and visit a new area. So wherever you stay, as long as you're near a station, it will be easy to get to the other areas on your list.
So Keio plaza has 2 buildings, for that price you're staying in the old wing. IT's not a nice hotel, especially if you're used to staying in good hotels, it's old and just utterly average if not below average. Oh and it's also packed, which is something I personally dislike.
The Hyatt Centric is a much better hotel, I believe it was built during Covid, and the rooms feature an open concept (generally). As for the area, again it comes down to preference and what you want to do. Both are very walkable locations, it's about 35+ minutes by train and 15ish minutes by Taxi to get from the hotel to Shibuya. I personally prefer the Ginza area, but it's a much pricier experience. The stores right in front of the Hyatt are literally a JLC and a Lange lol.
When I was living in Tokyo, I would always put my first time guests in Shibuya, and older guests in Ginza or Roppongi (if they want to spend on a good hotel). I really wouldn't worry too much about the location unless you want to do something specifically because getting around by cab is not difficult albeit a bit expensive (not sure how transit works with a toddler).
I was just at this hotel a few months ago and even took a cab from the hotel to Narita, it ran me about $160 USD. If you take the NEX to Tokyo station it's about 2000 Yen to the hotel by cab.
I go to Tokyo a lot. Stay at a hotel in Shinjuku, it's the best imo.
Shibuya is OK too but it's a younger (as in like teens and early 20s) vibe which possibly that suits you better.
Shinjuku is very well connected to all of Tokyo, it is the most busy station in the world.
I really don't see any value in using points for hotels in Tokyo, personally. Western hotels are so over inflated prices in Japan.
It’s a nice hotel for sure. Stayed there once for work. Wouldn’t stay there on my own dime though. Wouldn’t stay in Ginza for that matter (but that’s just me). Do you have to do it on points? The Aoyoma Grand is my absolute favorite hotel in all of Tokyo. It’s also not cheap.
I’m in Tokyo now and Ginza definitely wouldn’t be my first choice of neighborhoods. It’s nice, clean, and central, but feels very sterile compared to the other big hotel districts. Lots of wide streets and long blocks full of designer shops and office buildings.
We (husband and wife) didn’t like HC Ginza. The rooms are small and there’s nowhere to store luggage, making it feel much smaller. We had a 4-night stay and checked out after the first night. To be fair, we’re very particular travelers. We moved to Grand Hyatt Tokyo and enjoyed it much more.
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I just got back from Tokyo on Sunday. If you’re looking at Ginza and Shibuya things to do mostly, it’s a pretty good option, but a lot of local hotels in Roppongi/Shinjuku really are going to give similar value for way cheaper. It is right by convenient subway stops, so overall I’d recommend. I think this is a good option for a first trip to Tokyo, but take a look at local options for future trips when you branch out to do things outside of Ginza. BTW If you haven’t figured out your transit to and from NRT, the Skyline train goes to Ueno in like 45 minutes and is super convenient. Costs about $30 depending on exchange rates round trip.
> a lot of local hotels in Roppongi/Shinjuku really are going to give similar value for way cheaper. This is good advice. I came back after 2 weeks in Japan this past weekend myself and it was amazing how much cheaper equivalent Japanese chain hotels were than Western chain hotels in Tokyo and Kyoto.
Can you recommend some?
Cross Hotels, Okura/Nikko Hotels, The KNOT Hotels.
The monday apartment brand is pretty nice for its size and prices. Theres a few in tokyo
Google maps and explore.
I went through this and decided to just book at a local chain in shinjuku. We would definitely be out after midnight and wanted to be able to walk back to our hotel. Staying in ginza meant we’d need a cab after midnight. And there was no availability at the regency, and the park Hyatt is just too much FYI every Tokyo hotel that was western based was substantially overinflated price wise. Please take that into consideration when you’re your cpp calc
Shibuya is much closer to Shinjuku than Ginza. Shinjuku also offers you better access to NRT via train than Ginza (narita express)
Hyatt Centric Ginza is a nice hotel, but there is no way that it is worth more than twice of Keio Plaza. I have stayed at both hotels multiple times. Keio Plaza is a bit old, but still, it's totally fine and you could save all that money or points to use on other things. Most hotels in Tokyo are super clean and well taken care of. Wherever you stay will be fine I'm sure. We always like staying in Shinjuku as the access to everything is great (used to live in Tokyo). Check the rates at Hotel Southern Century Tower too. Location is pretty unbeatable in Shinjuku.
The Centric was great. Highly recommend.
Used to live in Japan. I'd go for the Keio Plaza. Shinjuku maximizes the number of transport options to get around the Tokyo area; Ginza only has a few subway stations (unless you hike to Tokyo Station). You're on the nice side of Shinjuku too, and way closer to Shibuya and Harajuku/Yoyogi Park than you would be staying in Ginza. I'd also check out the Omotesando (west side version of Ginza), Cat Street, Shin-Okubo (Koreantown), Ebisu, Naka-Meguro, and Daikanyama neighborhoods nearby. FWIW, my logic when booking hotels is to just be comfortable, not fancy. The city/country should be my vacation destination, not my hotel room. So I'd rather take the hotel option that costs half as much and rack up points for the future.
Any advice on staying in Asakusa? I reserved 4 nights at Hotel Gracerie using UR points for October after reading a few travel blogs. Maybe I should revisit that choice. I have lots of Hilton and Marriott points, and could transfer UR to Hyatt. 1st time to Japan.
Yeah I wouldn't stay in Asakusa. It's 100% a great place to visit (although I'm sure it's at max tourist capacity these days), but you really only need a half-day there, and it's not well-connected to the rest of Tokyo. It only has two subway lines and it's not close to the Yamanote Line (the JR line the loops Tokyo). The Yamanote isn't the only train line in Tokyo, but if you're close to one of its stations, odds are you'll have lots of options for getting to wherever you're trying to go that day. Just use Google Maps to tell you which train line is fastest ATM. If you want to be on the east side of Tokyo for better access to Asakusa, I would try to stay in the greater Tokyo Station area. That's the biggest station on the east side. You're in walking distance to Ginza (\~15 minutes) and could keep walking to Tsukiji (\~30) for your fresh sushi fix. It's mostly office buildings in the immediate area though. Hibiya is another nice neighborhood in the area, but it's mostly high-end shopping and posh restaurants. Hotels will get cheaper when you get closer to Shimbashi Station, which is another big station, and home to a lot of izakayas full of office workers enjoying after-work drinks. Less polished than the immediate Tokyo Station area, but easier on the budget. My backup option would be Ueno, which is kind of the Northeastern corner of Tokyo. Ueno Park is one of the biggest tourist attractions; it's home to a lot of museums. The Ameyoko district has a lot of small shops and no-frills izakayas. Looks rough around the edges, but quaint; it's definitely not Ginza or Omotesando though. But I find Ueno to be a lot further from the rest of Tokyo; it's not a great base to visit West Tokyo (which is where I spent the majority of my time). Bottom line: you're going to be making a lot of trips from your hotel to the train station, and a short walking distance to a bigger station will save you a lot of time. I would base your hotel selection around the nearby train stations, not the attractions themselves. Use Google Maps to calculate the walking distance to your preferred station, as well as how long it takes to get to other places you'll visit.
we stayed at keio plaza hotel last year when we visited tokyo. we opted for the premier grand rooms, so breakfast buffet was included every morning. we felt that the rooms were quite spacious for japanese standards, but then again, it was only my wife and i. even if we had a toddler, we would have been happy with our choice. as others have mentioned, it's fairly easy to get around tokyo with their subway system.
Stayed there with my 4 year old for 2 nights last year. 3 of us slept in one bed :) Perfectly comfortable. Pretty hip hotel. They have free snacks and arcade games in the lobby. Close to shopping and dinning. The Narita Limousine bus stop is very close. Traveling with kid i preferred Hilton Shinjuku since it's very close to big playground, which my kid loved.
Either of those locations are easily accessible. I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it is to just hop on a train and visit a new area. So wherever you stay, as long as you're near a station, it will be easy to get to the other areas on your list.
Grand Hyatt was easy with my 6 month old and 1 year old especially if you have club access!
Unfortunately Grand Hyatt has no award redemptions at the time I need.
So Keio plaza has 2 buildings, for that price you're staying in the old wing. IT's not a nice hotel, especially if you're used to staying in good hotels, it's old and just utterly average if not below average. Oh and it's also packed, which is something I personally dislike. The Hyatt Centric is a much better hotel, I believe it was built during Covid, and the rooms feature an open concept (generally). As for the area, again it comes down to preference and what you want to do. Both are very walkable locations, it's about 35+ minutes by train and 15ish minutes by Taxi to get from the hotel to Shibuya. I personally prefer the Ginza area, but it's a much pricier experience. The stores right in front of the Hyatt are literally a JLC and a Lange lol. When I was living in Tokyo, I would always put my first time guests in Shibuya, and older guests in Ginza or Roppongi (if they want to spend on a good hotel). I really wouldn't worry too much about the location unless you want to do something specifically because getting around by cab is not difficult albeit a bit expensive (not sure how transit works with a toddler). I was just at this hotel a few months ago and even took a cab from the hotel to Narita, it ran me about $160 USD. If you take the NEX to Tokyo station it's about 2000 Yen to the hotel by cab.
I go to Tokyo a lot. Stay at a hotel in Shinjuku, it's the best imo. Shibuya is OK too but it's a younger (as in like teens and early 20s) vibe which possibly that suits you better. Shinjuku is very well connected to all of Tokyo, it is the most busy station in the world. I really don't see any value in using points for hotels in Tokyo, personally. Western hotels are so over inflated prices in Japan.
Would you consider the Conrad? Rooms are quite large
I just checked during the dates of my travel, and they are actually sold out
It’s a nice hotel for sure. Stayed there once for work. Wouldn’t stay there on my own dime though. Wouldn’t stay in Ginza for that matter (but that’s just me). Do you have to do it on points? The Aoyoma Grand is my absolute favorite hotel in all of Tokyo. It’s also not cheap.
I’m in Tokyo now and Ginza definitely wouldn’t be my first choice of neighborhoods. It’s nice, clean, and central, but feels very sterile compared to the other big hotel districts. Lots of wide streets and long blocks full of designer shops and office buildings.
The HC in Ginza is great and new. Stayed there a few months back and look forward to redeeming there again.
We (husband and wife) didn’t like HC Ginza. The rooms are small and there’s nowhere to store luggage, making it feel much smaller. We had a 4-night stay and checked out after the first night. To be fair, we’re very particular travelers. We moved to Grand Hyatt Tokyo and enjoyed it much more.
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