Where to Stay - Tokyo - page 86

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you're expected to lay out your own futon at night, stow it away in the morning, and tidy
up your room. Most also do not supply towels or yukata, nor do they have units with
private bathrooms. Meals are served in a communal dining room.
Officially, what differentiates a ryokan from a minshuku is that the ryokan is more
expensive and provides more services, but the difference is sometimes very slight. I've
stayed in cheap ryokan providing almost no service and in minshuku too large and mod-
ern to be considered private homes. The average per-person cost for a night in a min-
shuku is ¥7,000 to ¥9,000, including two meals.

WESTERN STYLE ACCOMMODATIONS
Western-style lodgings range from exclusive first-class hotels to inexpensive ones catering
primarily to Japanese businessmen.
When you book a hotel room, contact the hotel directly to inquire about rates, even
if a toll-free 800 number is provided; sometimes there are special packages, such as week-
end or honeymoon packages, that central reservations desks do not know about. Special,
cheaper rates are also often offered on the hotel's website. In addition, always ask what
kinds of rooms are available. Many hotels, especially those in the upper and medium
range, offer a variety of rooms at various prices, with room size the overwhelming factor
in pricing. Other aspects that often have a bearing on rates include bed size, floor height
(higher floors are more expensive), and in-room amenities. Views are generally not a fac-
tor in Tokyo (though some hotels near Tokyo Bay charge more for harbor views; Mt. Fuji
in the far distance is generally visible only in the winter or on rare, clear days). In Japan,
a twin room refers to a room with two twin beds, while a double room refers to a room
with one double bed (for convenience, the “double” rates for hotels listed below refer to
two people in one room and include both twin and double beds). Most hotels charge
more for a twin room, but sometimes the opposite is the case. When making your reser-
vation, therefore, inquire about the differences in rates and what they entail.
Once you decide on the type of room you want, ask for the best in that category. For
example, if you want a standard room, and deluxe rooms start on the 14th floor, ask for
a standard on the 13th floor. In addition, be specific about the kind of room you want,
whether it's a nonsmoking room, a room with a view of Mount Fuji, a room with Inter-
net connection, or a room away from traffic noise. If possible, give the hotel your
approximate time of arrival, especially if you'll be arriving after 6pm, when unclaimed
rooms are sometimes given away.

5

3 SELECTING ACCOMMODATIONS

PRICE CATEGORIES
The hotel recommendations below are arranged first according to price, then by
geographical location. Because Tokyo's attractions, restaurants, and nightlife are widely
scattered, and because the public transportation system is fast and efficient (I've provided
the nearest subway or train stations for each listing), there's no one location in Tokyo
that's more convenient than another—and because this is one of the most expensive hotel
cities in the world, the overriding factor in selecting accommodations will likely be cost.
I've divided Tokyo's hotels into price categories based upon two people per night, includ-
ing tax and service charge: Very Expensive hotels charge ¥50,000 and above, Expensive
hotels range from ¥32,000 to ¥50,000, Moderate hotels offer rooms from ¥16,000 to