2012 Tokyo – Accommodation

In my so-called budget trip, we seldom stay in homestay or dorm. Although we had a really great homestay experience in Switzerland and Czek Republic, but me and my partner JK still prefer to stay in hotel due to safety issue of our personal belongings. Sometimes it cost almost the same yet we get more privacy and security, somehow reduce the time on researching the area and thing.

I take accommodation as one of the most important part during my planning of my trip. The comfort level and cleanliness would really affect your mood and overall trip experience, as it is the place to get yourself rest and refresh. I filter out a list of hotel from www.booking.com (I find hotel from this website for years, and it provide good service and quick response on your needs), which was Sotetsu Fresa Inn & Toyoko Inn.

Toyoko Inn is one of the famous chain budget hotel in Japan, you can find it in most of the travel hot spot yet very near to tube station. And it serves different simple breakfast (rice+miso or coffee+bread) at different branch. However, Sotetsu Fresa Inn stand out due to its lower price, although the price would be the same if I adding breakfast to the package. Considering the price I paid for breakfast would allow me to buy even more discount food the day before at 7pm from hypermarket, Toyoko Inn do not add extra value by supplying breakfast. So I decided to stay in this medium cost, shampoo & towel provided, proper budget Inn.

Sotetsu Fresa Inn Hamamatsucho Daimon located just a 3-5mins walk to Daimon station (B5 exit) and 5-10mins walk to Hamamatsucho station. These 2 station have different line of tube which you could fully use this 2 lines to plan your schedule. World Trade Center is located just besides of Hamamatsucho station, and you could pay a visit before 8pm (close at 830pm) to take a best view of Tokyo Tower.

There's a lot of restaurant down the street.

Sotetsu Fresa Inn Hamamatsucho Daimon is considered to be very near to Tokyo tower and Hanneda Airport. I did not know it was the wise decision I made in this trip when I book the hotel. Due to the late flight we took, we failed to take the last train to my Hotel and end up sitting in a taxi which cost us around JPY 9000 (around RM400, the most expensive taxi I had taken in my life) to reach the hotel, try to imagine if my hotel is a bit further, that could really kill our mood on the arrival. So do not take the late flight as it doesn’t save your money, the lesson I learnt by paying RM400.

It took some time to find the hotel, even a taxi driver with a GPS. If you exit from Daimon station B5 exit, turn right, go straight it is located at the end of the street. The staffs speak English and like most other hotel/Inn the provided a long list of freebies on a small table next to the lift, which are:

1.      Free SPA powder
2.      Cleanser
3.      Moisturizer
4.      Toner
5.      tea/coffee

You could take as much as you like; yet they will provide you the exact number (the day you stayed) of shower pack for you. Inside the shower pack you can find cleanser, moisturizer, toner and hair pin.

The room was small but clean and everything has been provided, including kettle; anti-bac shoes spray; air-ionizer and fridge.

There's also a multiple port charger that fit almost all your device.

I was very happy with the location, it is quite convenient and everything in the hotel is just nice. I would recommend anyone if your itinerary is almost the same as mine.

Link: Sotetsu Fresa Inn

Tips
There’s a few thing I will take into consideration when picking my accommodation.

1. Ease of taking transportation (near to tube/train)
2. Safety of the surrounding area (if any criminal case related to tourist happened in that area?)
3. Center point to my trip destination, or at least the train station could get to my destination easily without too much interchange.
4. Review of the Hotel/Homestay/Dorm (I don’t fully take it into consideration, as everyone have different requirement and demand over the accommodation, I will look into distance to train station, whether the hotel is easy to find and cleanliness, breakfast quality, a hotel with a 60-70% of satisfaction is good enough).
5. Wifi, Breakfast & shuttle to airport (it will be good if it is provided).
6. Near to airport if necessary, eg. Early morning/midnight flight.

Note:
I don’t change too much hotel in my trip, as you need to check out and travel with your luggage which is very inconvenient & time-consuming (unless you are backpacker), and of cause stay in the same hotel over 7 days usually get cheaper price. I will change hotel only if I need to spend a few days in another distanced place yet the transport fee is expensive.