There is no shortage of travel lodging in Japan, from traditional ryokans to staggeringly tall skyscrapers. It’s tough to narrow down the options, but booking.com has really good filters. I spent hours combing through hotels in Japan trying to balance comfort and availability with my budget and itinerary. If you’re planning a trip, this collection of mini-reviews and links may come in handy.
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TOKYO
Knowing that spaces in Japan are stereotypically small, I wanted to soften the culture shock and book my first hotel in Japan on the large side. I picked well. Mitsui Garden Hotel Roppongi Tokyo Premier is fabulous, with luxurious rooms featuring details like soft linens and rich wood sliding doors. The staff is outstanding. They learned our names and delivered the baseball tickets we had waiting for us upon check-in. A full review is forthcoming on this blog, but you can view pictures and check prices now.
If you, like me, love a “designer” hotel, stay at Hotel K5 and thank me later. This boutique hotel in a converted bank only has 20 rooms. It is a luxurious fusion of Japanese and Scandinavian design. Budget-wise, this was a splurge but I saved by only booking it for my final night in Japan before departing for Narita Airport the next day. There are two restaurants and a coffeeshop onsite, plus more tasty restaurants in walking distance. My full review for this site is still in the works but you can view pictures and check prices now.
Hmm… anywhere along the way, did I mention I got confused by the international date line… And had to find an extra room in Tokyo for the night we landed? Luckily, APA Hotels are ubiquitous, comfortable, clean, and affordable. I booked APA Hotel & Resort Roppongi-Eki-Higashi at the last minute. The rooms are very small but the included Japanese-Western fusion breakfast is wonderful. It is just a few blocks from our intended hotel in Roppongi (mentioned above) and we simply walked over the next morning. View pictures and check prices now.
Travel through Japan with the JR PASS
OSAKA
We stayed at HOTEL THE FLAG Shinsaibashi, which is stylish, quiet, with an excellent staff and a fun library/lounge area. It is located conveniently near the Dotonbori river but just outside of the hustle and bustle of the night clubs and bright flashing lights. We also did laundry at this hotel. Find out what to do in Osaka and read my HOTEL THE FLAG review and check prices now.
KYOTO
Our Kyoto hotel, Hotel Resol Trinity stands out in my mind because of the tatami floor mats and the hotel’s comfortable and luxurious common bath. (Peep The Voyageer’s tips on Japanese onsen). I was very satisfied with my stay here, in fact some of my Japanese friends have even stayed in this hotel while traveling domestically. If I were to do it again, I might choose a hotel a little closer to Gion, but then again Kyoto was extremely crowded during cherry blossom season and it was nice to retreat to our hotel. It is not too far out from major sites and it is convenient to get to and from the train station. Find out what to do in Kyoto, read my Hotel Resol Trinity review and check prices now.
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BEPPU
There are many traditional style hot spring hotels in Beppu, but I think I picked one of the best when I landed on Beppu NagomiTsuki. This small boutique hotel is off the beaten past so you will need to hail a taxi to get you to and from the train if you have luggage. NagomiTsuki is one of the top two hotels I stayed at in Japan thanks to the traditional style room and gourmet food. Find out what to do in Beppu, read my Beppu NagomiTsuki review and check prices now.
FUKUOKA
This city may not make it on most Japan itineraries but if you plan on visiting Fukuoka, I think you will like it. After a little research I decided to find a hotel in the Tenjin neighborhood of Fukuoka. We stayed at centrally located Best Western Plus Fukuoka Tenjin-minami. This hotel is walking distance to the famous yatai food stalls but it is outside the Nakasu island area which is known for containing shady entertainment establishments. View pictures and check prices now.
That’s it for the hotels in Japan where I stayed this time around… do you have a place you stayed that our readers need to know about? Please drop it in the comments below!
Next time I would love to travel around the North part of Japan… any recommendations?
