Anyone stayed at hotel mystays maihama?

[Westcoastwild]

I figured there might be fellow cheapskates here. What did you think? Location, service, whatever?

Hilton was my first thought but it's twice the price and I can stay 2 more days if I go with maihama.

 

[Flossbolna]

We considered it until a great rate came up at the Hilton (they often have sales going on). I looked at the tripadvisor reviews and they seemed decent and I found this review: http://tdrexplorer.com/hotel-mystays-maihama-review

Hope this helps! And please come back and report on how it was if you end up staying there!

 

[Westcoastwild]

Sadly they were sold out for one of my dates. Can I ask what rate you got at the Hilton? I've seen $169 which is ok but not great.

Looks like I shall be reporting on the difficulty of day tripping to Disney instead

 

[Flossbolna]

Have you looked at the hotels at the next train station, Urayasu? Some of these hotels have shuttles to the parks as well. Also, make sure to check various websites as prices and availability can vary. I got some amazing rates on Agoda.

We are at 165$ per night including taxes for the Hilton. This is about 45$ more per night than the for our dates. It seemed worth the upgrade in amenities for us.

 

[rkold]

I've stayed at the Sunroute at Ariake which also has a free shuttle to TDR. It was surprisingly nice. I've done a bunch of the Odaiba hotels if you are considering any of them. Several offer shuttle service to TDR. For those without service, you can take the Rinkai line to Shin-Kiba and transfer to the Keiyo line. Many of the Odaiba hotels are "Good Neighbor" hotels. Did you check the Sunroute near TDR? I also have seen some really low prices for the Okura. I think the Okura and the Sunroute had lower prices on JapanIcan than on Booking or TripAdvisor or the usual English sites. I would also check Rakuten.

 

[Westcoastwild]

Hm. I know I checked the sunroute. It was an availability issue. What hotels would be good to look at for Obaida? I was having difficulty figuring out the ones with shuttles.

Honestly most of my limitations are due to 2 things-

I don't want to blow too much money just on Disney- I have 2 days there out of a 30 day trip for Japan.

And I go in a little more than a month. I usually plan 6 months to a year out. This was totally spur of the moment. A lot of the hotels at this point still have rooms but they're the expensive rooms meant for families. I want 1 bed- not 5.

 

[Westcoastwild]

i could go later in the month, but I prefer low crowds to convenient lodging. It looks like crowds get much worse in August.

 

[rkold]

What are your exact dates, if that's not too much trouble? I can take a look a few places. There is a Sunroute in Maihama near TDR (possibly on the monorail) and a Sunroute in Ariake with a shuttle. Sunroute is a big chain. I've stayed at the Ariake one, but I was going to Big Sight/Tokyo. I've also stayed at the Washington (another chain) at Ariake (which might also have a free shuttle) again I was doing Tokyo/Big Sight. I've also stayed at the Bayside Trusty. I was doing Tokyo that trip. The beds and pillows were incredibly nice and the staff was very kind. I don't remember if they are a good neighbor though. But from the Trusty/Ariake/Washington it is easy to get to the RInkai line to Shin-Kiba and transfer.

I made the mistake of staying in Ikebukuro when I went to TDR I went a "quiet" day and spent around 1+ hours in line just trying to get in the park/get a ticket and the trip took quite long. Unless there are free shuttles, Urayasu Station is not on the same line as TDR/Maihama and is far enough away it would be challenge to get to the parks without a car. Shin-Kiba and Shin Urayasu are the nearest station to Maihama. But the train is ~every 15 minutes.

 

[Westcoastwild]

What are your exact dates, if that's not too much trouble? I can take a look a few places. There is a Sunroute in Maihama near TDR (possibly on the monorail) and a Sunroute in Ariake with a shuttle. Sunroute is a big chain. I've stayed at the Ariake one, but I was going to Big Sight/Tokyo. I've also stayed at the Washington (another chain) at Ariake (which might also have a free shuttle) again I was doing Tokyo/Big Sight. I've also stayed at the Bayside Trusty. I was doing Tokyo that trip. The beds and pillows were incredibly nice and the staff was very kind. I don't remember if they are a good neighbor though. But from the Trusty/Ariake/Washington it is easy to get to the RInkai line to Shin-Kiba and transfer.

I made the mistake of staying in Ikebukuro when I went to TDR I went a "quiet" day and spent around 1+ hours in line just trying to get in the park/get a ticket and the trip took quite long. Unless there are free shuttles, Urayasu Station is not on the same line as TDR/Maihama and is far enough away it would be challenge to get to the parks without a car. Shin-Kiba and Shin Urayasu are the nearest station to Maihama. But the train is ~every 15 minutes.

July 10, 11, 12, 13 OR 17, 18, 19 (I am in Hakone over the weekend). The second set of dates is not optimal because I would have to find somewhere to stay the 16th- one of the issues I have is that anything in the Tokyo Disney area is super expensive that Sunday.

If you can personally vouch for something you find and explain logistics to me, that would be AWESOME. I found a few different places in the Urayasu area but like you said, the stations are not on the same line and I'm concerned about easy access. Also concerned about staying in a hotel that doesn't get foreign visitors- I need the front desk to speak at least some English and that seems to be an issue at some of the cheaper business hotels.

 

[rkold]

July 10, 11, 12, 13 OR 17, 18, 19 (I am in Hakone over the weekend). The second set of dates is not optimal because I would have to find somewhere to stay the 16th- one of the issues I have is that anything in the Tokyo Disney area is super expensive that Sunday.

If you can personally vouch for something you find and explain logistics to me, that would be AWESOME. I found a few different places in the Urayasu area but like you said, the stations are not on the same line and I'm concerned about easy access. Also concerned about staying in a hotel that doesn't get foreign visitors- I need the front desk to speak at least some English and that seems to be an issue at some of the cheaper business hotels.

I am assuming for this you are two adults no children. Adding more people or children will change prices.

Let's see on Japanican you can get a room in Shin-Urayasu 13 min/ 4km away at the Oriental Tokyo Hotel Bay. It's a Disney "Partner Hotel" and is $273+tax for 3 nights. The Tokyo Bay Maihama Club Resort is on the monorail line, and is $288+tax for 3 nights. It's closer than the 50's Maihama hotel to Tokyo Disney. The Sunroute Plaza at Tokyo Disney (on the monorail line) is $317+tax for 3 nights. All 3 of those hotels just came up and all have some level of English support according to Japanican. The more expensive Maihama Club and Sunroute would be as convenient as the Hilton or Sheraton, just cheaper. The Sunroute is prob about $380 ($317+.20%)for 3 nights with tax or $127 a night, which is actually quite reasonable to me. The Sunroute has small well designed rooms.

On Rakuten: the Oriental is $325 with taxes and fees for 3 nights. You can book the 50's Maihama still for $198 total.

Agoda and Trivago tend to not compare against Japanican and Rakuten so sometimes they have better prices and different stock. I have used Rakuten for years. I started using them in '05 or '06 maybe? My friends introduced me to the site. I booked my hotel for Takayama through them because they had the best price $160 a night for the Associa and I love the onsen at the Associa. (It also includes breakfast <3 ) JapanICan I think is owned by JTB. They're also very reliable. I've used them as well to book hotels, though I don't think I kept any of my bookings this trip. I've mostly been using Booking since I found an awesome hotel in Kyoto that looks amazing. (Hopeully it is!)

http://travel.rakuten.com/hotellist...checkout=2017-07-13&limit=20&offset=0&rooms=1

and

http://www.japanican.com/en/hotel/l...heckout=20170713&sn=3&rn=1&apn=2&hcpn=0&cbn=0

Are links to both searches. I really hope this helps. I want to stress now, I've never stayed near TDR before. I stayed at the Prince in Ikebukuro and it was a long long long trip to TDR. Our room was lovely, I like Ikebukuro, but it is awful as a starting point for TDR.

 

[Westcoastwild]

I am assuming for this you are two adults no children. Adding more people or children will change prices.

Let's see on Japanican you can get a room in Shin-Urayasu 13 min/ 4km away at the Oriental Tokyo Hotel Bay. It's a Disney "Partner Hotel" and is $273+tax for 3 nights. The Tokyo Bay Maihama Club Resort is on the monorail line, and is $288+tax for 3 nights. It's closer than the 50's Maihama hotel to Tokyo Disney. The Sunroute Plaza at Tokyo Disney (on the monorail line) is $317+tax for 3 nights. All 3 of those hotels just came up and all have some level of English support according to Japanican. The more expensive Maihama Club and Sunroute would be as convenient as the Hilton or Sheraton, just cheaper. The Sunroute is prob about $380 ($317+.20%)for 3 nights with tax or $127 a night, which is actually quite reasonable to me. The Sunroute has small well designed rooms.

On Rakuten: the Oriental is $325 with taxes and fees for 3 nights. You can book the 50's Maihama still for $198 total.

Agoda and Trivago tend to not compare against Japanican and Rakuten so sometimes they have better prices and different stock. I have used Rakuten for years. I started using them in '05 or '06 maybe? My friends introduced me to the site. I booked my hotel for Takayama through them because they had the best price $160 a night for the Associa and I love the onsen at the Associa. (It also includes breakfast <3 ) JapanICan I think is owned by JTB. They're also very reliable. I've used them as well to book hotels, though I don't think I kept any of my bookings this trip. I've mostly been using Booking since I found an awesome hotel in Kyoto that looks amazing. (Hopeully it is!)

http://travel.rakuten.com/hotellist...checkout=2017-07-13&limit=20&offset=0&rooms=1

and

http://www.japanican.com/en/hotel/l...heckout=20170713&sn=3&rn=1&apn=2&hcpn=0&cbn=0

Are links to both searches. I really hope this helps. I want to stress now, I've never stayed near TDR before. I stayed at the Prince in Ikebukuro and it was a long long long trip to TDR. Our room was lovely, I like Ikebukuro, but it is awful as a starting point for TDR.

One adult no kids. Flying solo for this!

Have you had any trouble using booking sites for Japan? That's what makes me nervous; usually I prefer booking direct. I don't like hotels walking me in the states- I absolutely dread that happening overseas especially at a place like Disney where location is everything.

 

[Westcoastwild]

I am assuming for this you are two adults no children. Adding more people or children will change prices.

Let's see on Japanican you can get a room in Shin-Urayasu 13 min/ 4km away at the Oriental Tokyo Hotel Bay. It's a Disney "Partner Hotel" and is $273+tax for 3 nights. The Tokyo Bay Maihama Club Resort is on the monorail line, and is $288+tax for 3 nights. It's closer than the 50's Maihama hotel to Tokyo Disney. The Sunroute Plaza at Tokyo Disney (on the monorail line) is $317+tax for 3 nights. All 3 of those hotels just came up and all have some level of English support according to Japanican. The more expensive Maihama Club and Sunroute would be as convenient as the Hilton or Sheraton, just cheaper. The Sunroute is prob about $380 ($317+.20%)for 3 nights with tax or $127 a night, which is actually quite reasonable to me. The Sunroute has small well designed rooms.

On Rakuten: the Oriental is $325 with taxes and fees for 3 nights. You can book the 50's Maihama still for $198 total.

Agoda and Trivago tend to not compare against Japanican and Rakuten so sometimes they have better prices and different stock. I have used Rakuten for years. I started using them in '05 or '06 maybe? My friends introduced me to the site. I booked my hotel for Takayama through them because they had the best price $160 a night for the Associa and I love the onsen at the Associa. (It also includes breakfast <3 ) JapanICan I think is owned by JTB. They're also very reliable. I've used them as well to book hotels, though I don't think I kept any of my bookings this trip. I've mostly been using Booking since I found an awesome hotel in Kyoto that looks amazing. (Hopeully it is!)

http://travel.rakuten.com/hotellist...checkout=2017-07-13&limit=20&offset=0&rooms=1

and

http://www.japanican.com/en/hotel/l...heckout=20170713&sn=3&rn=1&apn=2&hcpn=0&cbn=0

Are links to both searches. I really hope this helps. I want to stress now, I've never stayed near TDR before. I stayed at the Prince in Ikebukuro and it was a long long long trip to TDR. Our room was lovely, I like Ikebukuro, but it is awful as a starting point for TDR.

Sunroute does help. I think I rejected it initially because it was super expensive on the 16th. So...

You found the other sunroute location ok? Cleanliness and service wise I mean? What would you say the US chain equivalent would be? The reviews seem largely positive...but there are a few that make me nervous, and I don't know enough about Japanese hotels to know if they are valid complaints. (People complain about dated decor, room size, ventilation, housekeeping. The first two are probably nutty Americans being nutty Americans, but I have allergies, so am a bit concerned about housekeeping and ventilation/getting a non smoking room).

 

[rkold]

One adult no kids. Flying solo for this!

Have you had any trouble using booking sites for Japan? That's what makes me nervous; usually I prefer booking direct. I don't like hotels walking me in the states- I absolutely dread that happening overseas especially at a place like Disney where location is everything.

I'm a little confused to be honest, I don't know what "walking" means. ^^;

Do you mean showing up at a hotel and not having a reservation? I have never had that happen to me in Japan. The only time I have ever had a problem was with AirBnB last Summer when 2-3 days before I was to arrive my host refused to send me info about arriving and cancelled our reservation. I used Booking a lot last Summer (which was a new site for me) and I've used Rakuten, Jalan and Japanican for a long time.

Japanican is not great for singles, so sometimes you need to book as two. Rakuten tends to be much better for one. I have used them so many times. I used them for Zao onsen and all sorts of places.

I think it would be terribly embarrassing for a Japanese hotel to have someone arrive with a reservation and not have a room available. With Rakuten, you frequently pay in advance, so it would be particularly embarrassing for the hotel. The only hotel I booked directly was the Tokyo Station Hotel because I got a rate about 20% less booking directly because they offered a rail pass discount.

Just to warn you now, 50's Maihama is very cheap but has very mixed reviews. Some people staying there have had problems with smells and bugs.

 

[rkold]

Sunroute does help. I think I rejected it initially because it was super expensive on the 16th. So...

You found the other sunroute location ok? Cleanliness and service wise I mean? What would you say the US chain equivalent would be? The reviews seem largely positive...but there are a few that make me nervous, and I don't know enough about Japanese hotels to know if they are valid complaints. (People complain about dated decor, room size, ventilation, housekeeping. The first two are probably nutty Americans being nutty Americans, but I have allergies, so am a bit concerned about housekeeping and ventilation/getting a non smoking room).

Here was another site that came up when trying to find places to stay near TDR:
http://www.disneytouristblog.com/tokyo-disneyland-hotel-reviews-rankings/

There are no equivalents for a lot of Japanese chains... I stayed at the Ariake Sunroute and possibly another Sunroute around 8-10 years ago (I use to be a single traveller like you, now I travel with a 6 year old so I want a bigger nicer room.) I don't remember the rooms being smoky or poor particularly bad ventilation, but the rooms are tiny. Most Japanese hotel rooms are tiny unless you are spending a lot of money or staying somewhere further out, like the Associa in Takayama. If you're doing Japan on a budget, you will be in tiny hotel rooms. In general, the Japanese have gotten better about non-smoking. Things have really changed a lot.

BTW, The Tokyo Bay Club sounds like it is decent too and according to Japanican they do have some English support.

OK I was confused, I thought you wanted to stay at that 50s place which looks awful. I think Mystays was ask available cheaply from Japanican and Rakuten. MyStays is also a pretty typical chain like Toyoko and Dormy and Smile and Apa, and Sunroute, and I forget all the chains now. ^^;

MyStays Maihama is $342+tax on JapanIcan and Rakuten is right now down.

 

[Westcoastwild]

Here was another site that came up when trying to find places to stay near TDR:
http://www.disneytouristblog.com/tokyo-disneyland-hotel-reviews-rankings/

There are no equivalents for a lot of Japanese chains... I stayed at the Ariake Sunroute and possibly another Sunroute around 8-10 years ago (I use to be a single traveller like you, now I travel with a 6 year old so I want a bigger nicer room.) I don't remember the rooms being smoky or poor particularly bad ventilation, but the rooms are tiny. Most Japanese hotel rooms are tiny unless you are spending a lot of money or staying somewhere further out, like the Associa in Takayama. If you're doing Japan on a budget, you will be in tiny hotel rooms. In general, the Japanese have gotten better about non-smoking. Things have really changed a lot.

BTW, The Tokyo Bay Club sounds like it is decent too and according to Japanican they do have some English support.

OK I was confused, I thought you wanted to stay at that 50s place which looks awful. I think Mystays was ask available cheaply from Japanican and Rakuten. MyStays is also a pretty typical chain like Toyoko and Dormy and Smile and Apa, and Sunroute, and I forget all the chains now. ^^;

MyStays Maihama is $342+tax on JapanIcan and Rakuten is right now down.

Right, saw the reviews for mystays, and wasn't considering that at all.

Yeah, walking is when you book a hotel on a third party website, you show up, and they have no hotel room for you. The hotel "walks" you over to a hotel that does have rooms, usually a sister property. This is problematic because- I don't know where you are from- but say out of 4 1 star Seattle hotels, there is only one that I would willingly stay at. So if that one walks me, chances are that it's to one of the other 3 on that class- which are pretty much Bates Hotel or Roach Hotel. Like I will forfeit that room and end up paying 300/nt because I won't stay in those three.

The size of the hotel room doesn't bother me- I'm saying that people who review a hotel poorly may have done it for that reason, so I would consider it invalid, whereas if they rated it poorly because of a bad smell or lack of safety, that's what would concern me. The trouble with hotel reviews is that many people are crazy liars.

 

[rkold]

Right, saw the reviews for mystays, and wasn't considering that at all.

Yeah, walking is when you book a hotel on a third party website, you show up, and they have no hotel room for you. The hotel "walks" you over to a hotel that does have rooms, usually a sister property. This is problematic because- I don't know where you are from- but say out of 4 1 star Seattle hotels, there is only one that I would willingly stay at. So if that one walks me, chances are that it's to one of the other 3 on that class- which are pretty much Bates Hotel or Roach Hotel. Like I will forfeit that room and end up paying 300/nt because I won't stay in those three.

The size of the hotel room doesn't bother me- I'm saying that people who review a hotel poorly may have done it for that reason, so I would consider it invalid, whereas if they rated it poorly because of a bad smell or lack of safety, that's what would concern me. The trouble with hotel reviews is that many people are crazy liars.

I use to live about 30 miles from NYC, now I live more like 80-90. I have not traveled as much within the USA outside of WDW, where I tend to stay on property and use to use my AP discount and now do DVC. (and I once rented points from someone here on the Disboards.) I've booked with VBRO and AirBnb for trips to SoCal and had that one awful experience with the 3 day before arrival cancellation, but we moved things around and still found places, just for more than I wanted (but more like $150 a night to $200 a night, not $100 a night to $300!)

I have never had that happen to me in Japan. I think once the Washington had a hard time finding my pre-paid booking with Asiarooms, and I might have gotten a less nice room because of it or that might be have been the time I got a nicer room but I've never been moved to another hotel. I think the worst thing is if I didn't read carefully what I booked, I've gotten less nice rooms but always at the same hotel. Rakuten and JapaIcan will sometimes have multitudes of rooms at the same place and some have been just a little unnerving (like the single in the Prince that didn't have a window. ;;_;; ) If you have that reservation and it is prepaid like with JapanIcan or Rakuten, the hotel would be horribly embarrassed to bump you. The reason for the difference in availability is I think Japanese hotels only offer so many rooms to International sites.

There are times it is worth it to book direct. I thought about staying at the Royal Park again and got a special deal which included breakfast for the same price or lower than on most booking sites. But oddly, I got a better price on the Associa from Rakuten.

I've started using Rakuten in '07 and I've booked at least 10x with them. JTB is the agency that I think owns JapanICan and they are one of the big big travel agencies in Japan. I use JTB to buy my airfare to Japan because they tend to have discounted prices on Japanese airlines.

I am a woman and I have traveled Japan a lot alone. The only time I ever remember really feeling unsafe was when my friend and I drove through a blizzard near Towadako. Our car was tiny and did not have snow tires, we couldn't see, and we had no cell phone service. I guess the only other time I was concerned was when I slipped and hurt myself on Mt. Misen. Some hotels I've stayed at were unattractive or were in unattractive (think resembling a parking lot) parts of town, but nothing was dangerous, like you'd find in parts of the US.

The only places I've ever stayed that smelt was a "ryokan" in Kyoto and a temple in Koya-san. (That one was pretty awful!) A few places were a little more dusty than I would like or had bad ventilation or a/c. In general, countrywide chains tended to be more reliable because there is a certain consistency.

And yeah, it is important to take some reviews with a grain of salt. Most business hotels are much nicer than the equivalent would ever be in the USA. The rooms are tiny and nondescript, but many are cheap and convenient. I think I've stayed at the Center Hotel in Tokyo a few times. I used the APA chain a lot. It's very reliable. I would give the Sunroute or MyStays a try or that other hotel near Sunroute.

I hope this helps!

 

[Westcoastwild]

I use to live about 30 miles from NYC, now I live more like 80-90. I have not traveled as much within the USA outside of WDW, where I tend to stay on property and use to use my AP discount and now do DVC. (and I once rented points from someone here on the Disboards.) I've booked with VBRO and AirBnb for trips to SoCal and had that one awful experience with the 3 day before arrival cancellation, but we moved things around and still found places, just for more than I wanted (but more like $150 a night to $200 a night, not $100 a night to $300!)

I have never had that happen to me in Japan. I think once the Washington had a hard time finding my pre-paid booking with Asiarooms, and I might have gotten a less nice room because of it or that might be have been the time I got a nicer room but I've never been moved to another hotel. I think the worst thing is if I didn't read carefully what I booked, I've gotten less nice rooms but always at the same hotel. Rakuten and JapaIcan will sometimes have multitudes of rooms at the same place and some have been just a little unnerving (like the single in the Prince that didn't have a window. ;;_;; ) If you have that reservation and it is prepaid like with JapanIcan or Rakuten, the hotel would be horribly embarrassed to bump you. The reason for the difference in availability is I think Japanese hotels only offer so many rooms to International sites.

There are times it is worth it to book direct. I thought about staying at the Royal Park again and got a special deal which included breakfast for the same price or lower than on most booking sites. But oddly, I got a better price on the Associa from Rakuten.

I've started using Rakuten in '07 and I've booked at least 10x with them. JTB is the agency that I think owns JapanICan and they are one of the big big travel agencies in Japan. I use JTB to buy my airfare to Japan because they tend to have discounted prices on Japanese airlines.

I am a woman and I have traveled Japan a lot alone. The only time I ever remember really feeling unsafe was when my friend and I drove through a blizzard near Towadako. Our car was tiny and did not have snow tires, we couldn't see, and we had no cell phone service. I guess the only other time I was concerned was when I slipped and hurt myself on Mt. Misen. Some hotels I've stayed at were unattractive or were in unattractive (think resembling a parking lot) parts of town, but nothing was dangerous, like you'd find in parts of the US.

The only places I've ever stayed that smelt was a "ryokan" in Kyoto and a temple in Koya-san. (That one was pretty awful!) A few places were a little more dusty than I would like or had bad ventilation or a/c. In general, countrywide chains tended to be more reliable because there is a certain consistency.

And yeah, it is important to take some reviews with a grain of salt. Most business hotels are much nicer than the equivalent would ever be in the USA. The rooms are tiny and nondescript, but many are cheap and convenient. I think I've stayed at the Center Hotel in Tokyo a few times. I used the APA chain a lot. It's very reliable. I would give the Sunroute or MyStays a try or that other hotel near Sunroute.

I hope this helps!

Ok. Yes. That is SUPER reassuring, thanks. Safety was what I was mostly concerned about but I've read over and over again that Japan is very safe. I'm nervous about Tokyo but I feel like if I can handle Paris and Rome solo, I'll probably be fine.

Seattle has a massive hotel shortage in the summer because of the cruise boom. So while somewhere like Anaheim or Orlando would not sell out entirely- Seattle hotels sell out on a regular basis, for a 60 mile radius on weekends, to the point that if a motel knows they are one of the few places with rooms left, they will arbitrarily charge what they think people will pay. And they will sell those rooms. Prices easily triple for July and August and that's for rooms you book 4-5 months out. So that is why I am leery of booking sites- you never want to be in the position or finding a room day of during the summer. Even NYC parking and hotel rates do not surprise me. (Boston does. Boston and SF are probably the only cities I've been that are actually MORE expensive than Seattle in the summer).

 

[rkold]

Ok. Yes. That is SUPER reassuring, thanks. Safety was what I was mostly concerned about but I've read over and over again that Japan is very safe. I'm nervous about Tokyo but I feel like if I can handle Paris and Rome solo, I'll probably be fine.

Seattle has a massive hotel shortage in the summer because of the cruise boom. So while somewhere like Anaheim or Orlando would not sell out entirely- Seattle hotels sell out on a regular basis, for a 60 mile radius on weekends, to the point that if a motel knows they are one of the few places with rooms left, they will arbitrarily charge what they think people will pay. And they will sell those rooms. Prices easily triple for July and August and that's for rooms you book 4-5 months out. So that is why I am leery of booking sites- you never want to be in the position or finding a room day of during the summer. Even NYC parking and hotel rates do not surprise me. (Boston does. Boston and SF are probably the only cities I've been that are actually MORE expensive than Seattle in the summer).

I've never been to Seattle, but I agree SF is expensive. (I have family there, so it's another place I got every few years, though we see my family in SoCal more often.)

Kyoto and some of the smaller cities with enormous festivals can book completely up, but usually not for a 60 mile radius. But presumably you've already booked your accommodations for Kyoto. I find cheaper places go first, there are a lot of budgetary travelers in Japan. If you want somewhere with a good location and I think $130 or so a night, I would recommend the Royal Park. It's rated very highly for the most part. I came really close to staying there again.

Maybe for the Olympics Tokyo will have a shortage of rooms, but for normal touring times that isn't a problem. I've booked hotels a couple of days out when I was less picky. I've not been to Rome, but Tokyo is much much safer than Paris and London. The biggest dangers in Japan involve just being aware for natural disasters but if you live on the West Coast, I'm sure you've thought about those already. I have been in Tokyo/Japan for quakes. They can be a bit frightening. Japan is not some sort of paradise but in Tokyo the most usual crimes you might encounter are: men peeing in public, men puking on trains, and there are men who will grope women on crowded trains. You also might have a train/subway delayed due to a suicide. Yeah, people still jump in front of trains there. If you see a delay because of a "human accident" it means a suicide. Actual violent crimes are just so rare. While visiting a friend in Nagoya, one of the big news stories which was repeated several times, was an angry salariman had used his umbrella to decapitate a huge amount of tulips in a public space. This was a big deal and the police were looking for information on this man. It's just a very different culture with different expectations. Concerns about a smoky room or smoky lobby are real concerns. Concerns about ventilation or lack thereof, I can see as well. But concerns about robbery or other violent crimes... not so much. The only regular "theft" is umbrellas.

But you should still use some common sense. Random cute girls who want you to take them back to your hotel or buy them drinks or are a little too friendly are usually something to be wary of. It's not a problem I've had being female and not the hanging out at bars or night clubs sort of person.

Me, first trip to Japan I knew maybe 3 words of Japanese and I was going on my own. I'd gotten married rather young and had only been to Montreal for a long week end by myself. I stayed in Tokyo. Went up to Morioka and Kakunodate because... I could? Went to Licca Castle, went to Kyoto and went to Wakayama Castle. I met a few friends of friends while there, (who I'd never met in person before) but really did most of it on my own. Eating alone can be lonely, but that was about the worst of it, well and the cold I picked up... You're actually quite lucky, now there are smart phones and gps so you're not likely to get lost. Japan might seem daunting, but it's actually one of the better places to be a solo travel.

I'd offer to meet up but we're missing you by about a week. I am sure you will have an amazing time! ^_^

 

[Westcoastwild]

I've never been to Seattle, but I agree SF is expensive. (I have family there, so it's another place I got every few years, though we see my family in SoCal more often.)

Kyoto and some of the smaller cities with enormous festivals can book completely up, but usually not for a 60 mile radius. But presumably you've already booked your accommodations for Kyoto. I find cheaper places go first, there are a lot of budgetary travelers in Japan. If you want somewhere with a good location and I think $130 or so a night, I would recommend the Royal Park. It's rated very highly for the most part. I came really close to staying there again.

Maybe for the Olympics Tokyo will have a shortage of rooms, but for normal touring times that isn't a problem. I've booked hotels a couple of days out when I was less picky. I've not been to Rome, but Tokyo is much much safer than Paris and London. The biggest dangers in Japan involve just being aware for natural disasters but if you live on the West Coast, I'm sure you've thought about those already. I have been in Tokyo/Japan for quakes. They can be a bit frightening. Japan is not some sort of paradise but in Tokyo the most usual crimes you might encounter are: men peeing in public, men puking on trains, and there are men who will grope women on crowded trains. You also might have a train/subway delayed due to a suicide. Yeah, people still jump in front of trains there. If you see a delay because of a "human accident" it means a suicide. Actual violent crimes are just so rare. While visiting a friend in Nagoya, one of the big news stories which was repeated several times, was an angry salariman had used his umbrella to decapitate a huge amount of tulips in a public space. This was a big deal and the police were looking for information on this man. It's just a very different culture with different expectations. Concerns about a smoky room or smoky lobby are real concerns. Concerns about ventilation or lack thereof, I can see as well. But concerns about robbery or other violent crimes... not so much. The only regular "theft" is umbrellas.

But you should still use some common sense. Random cute girls who want you to take them back to your hotel or buy them drinks or are a little too friendly are usually something to be wary of. It's not a problem I've had being female and not the hanging out at bars or night clubs sort of person.

Me, first trip to Japan I knew maybe 3 words of Japanese and I was going on my own. I'd gotten married rather young and had only been to Montreal for a long week end by myself. I stayed in Tokyo. Went up to Morioka and Kakunodate because... I could? Went to Licca Castle, went to Kyoto and went to Wakayama Castle. I met a few friends of friends while there, (who I'd never met in person before) but really did most of it on my own. Eating alone can be lonely, but that was about the worst of it, well and the cold I picked up... You're actually quite lucky, now there are smart phones and gps so you're not likely to get lost. Japan might seem daunting, but it's actually one of the better places to be a solo travel.

I'd offer to meet up but we're missing you by about a week. I am sure you will have an amazing time! ^_^

Aw, thanks! I hope you have a great time too!

I'm female, so not worried about random cute girls. Yes, I have all my lodging booked- I deliberately picked a place in Tokyo that I could ditch if I found DL lodging. I like hostels and found a kyoto one that looks pretty great. Life long west coast kid so we do not think about natural disasters. Mount Rainier is adorable and harmless and tsunamis are just excited waves and there is no such thing as a fault line. That shaking? Oh that must be the house settling. Yup. Yup. Denial is the only way to stay sane.

How many days do you recommend for a first timer? I arrive at 5am on the 10th- I don't sleep all that well on planes, but I usually try to stay awake and I've gotten the general idea that Japanese don't allow early checkin any way because it's a "rule". So I was considering buying a 4 day ticket rather than a three day ticket and just getting some extra park time in. Wouldn't normally do it, but it sounds better than exploring Tokyo sleep deprived. Also TDL is much cheaper than the American parks. Do hotels generally store luggage? Or are there lockers at Maihama station?

Also wondered about pocket wifi. Have you used that before? If so, where did you pick it up?

 

[Flossbolna]

Just wanted to chime in that a friend of mine stayed at the Sunroute Ariake and liked it. His only issue was the tiny room. But the shuttle for TDL was convenient and he enjoyed staying in Obaida.

Looks like we will be in Japan around the same time!

I know that @rkold is amazing with all her (his?) info on Japan, but I wanted to chime in that we decided to go with SIM cards, not the mifi. The main reason is that we just wanted to have one less thing to keep track of. And we want the ability to communicate with each other if we split up. Obviously the later is not a concern for you. I was going to order the same one that @AquaDame had, check out her trip report, she writes about it at the very start of he report.