Thu Apr 26, 2018 4:49 am
I've been visiting Japan once or twice a year since 2000; probably 30 trips total so far. Unfortunately several of my favorite hotels have closed (I always stayed at the Grand Prince Akasaka before it was torn down!) but there are still a few suggestions I have that you might either not think about or might be inclined to dismiss if they came up in a search.
#1 - Tokyo Dome Hotel. This is a large hotel right next to (surprise!) the Tokyo Dome. But unless something big is going on, it's not particularly crowded. It is, however, right in the middle of a lot of stuff to do, and with very easy access to a lot of other neighborhoods popular with tourists. (It is two stops away from Akihabara, for one thing.) Tokyo Dome City is itself a small amusement park with a roller coaster that goes *through* a building, which is fun both to watch from the hotel and to ride! This hotel also has some really great restaurants, including one on the top floor that has some of the best views of Tokyo. One tip is to get the bigger room (I think they only have two types) - it's not much more expensive and should still be within your budget, but the regular rooms are quite small. The deluxe rooms are quite a bit bigger, and are above average size for Tokyo.
#2 - Oakwood Ariake. This is technically an "apartment rental" property but it is really a hotel. This is a legal grey area in Tokyo; there used to be more places like this but the city's been clamping down. You will actually be asked to sign a short term lease for the duration of your stay. There are pros and cons to this arrangement. A pro is that you can get very cheap rates on *very* big rooms - it depends on when you go, but I was able to stay in a one bedroom apartment with a separate dining room and kitchen, plus a wraparound balcony with a great view, for about $150 per night. A con is that the service level is a bit less than you get at a regular hotel, but they do still clean the room. Since it is an apartment, you also get a washer and dryer, which I find handy. This hotel is in Odaiba, which is not in the middle of the city, but it is right on the Rinkai line that turns into the JR Saikyo line, and it's only a few stops from major tourist areas like Shibuya, Shinjuku and Ikebukuro.
#3 - Shinjuku Granbell. You have to be the right kind of person for this because it is actually in Kabukicho (Tokyo's red light district) and could actually be considered a high end "love hotel" in some ways, but I've seen tour groups and regular people stay there as well. It's for more adventurous people, though, I'd say. My wife and I stayed in one of the top floor suites when we went (I can't remember which one; there are four), which was ridiculously cheap considering that it was something like 1,500 square feet and spanned two floors - I think we paid like $300 for that. But you can get regular rooms that are still really nice for half that. Just be cautious because there are *many* different types of rooms - I think some room types have only one of each in the entire hotel, and their lower-end common room types are *really* small. But depending on what you're into, this hotel puts you right in the middle of a lot of nightlife.
#4 - Grand Arc Hanzomon. After the Grand Prince Akasaka closed down, this was my go-to hotel for several trips. The Hanzomon subway line connects to almost every other line in the city, and itself runs through many major neighborhoods (either itself or as one of the lines it becomes with through service on either end). So the location is very convenient, while also being quiet. It's basically the opposite of the Shinjuku Granbell but still can put you in the middle of things very quickly. It also has some big rooms for reasonable prices, and nice views. And it's right next to the Imperial Palace, so that's one touristy thing to knock off your list while you're there.
Well, that's enough anyway. One tip - I'm going to contradict what FCOTSTW said a little bit, because many hotels do not make rooms available at all until 3 months out, and those that do only do so at their highest prices. It's actually best to wait until 2-3 months out to *start* looking. Then, it's best to get yourself a refundable room, because many hotels will have cancellations and you can get crazy deals at the last minute. I always book something about 2 months out and then keep checking periodically until right before I go, especially if there's a specific hotel I really want to stay at. I usually do get lucky.