Comments:
Advice needed from our Japanese friends
Dear all,
I have been traveling extensively in my life but I still have one dream to achieve, visiting Tokyo and Kyoto. I have vivid memories of reading the Golden Pavilion from Yukio Mishima.
I would need the advice of our fellow Japanese purists for a swanky hotel in both cities and nice places to eat.
Many thanks in advance for your insights,
Kim
My 2 cents
In Kyoto we stayed in the Hyatt Regency Hotel. It was a wonderful stay. I would definitely recommend!
In TKY we stayed at the "The Tokyo Station Hotel". The stay was wonderful here as well! There are so many hotels out there in the two cities mentioned. Most of them are probably outstanding. In the two we stayed, we had a great experience, especially in TKY. Team was fantastic!
Regards
Last time we stayed in Tokyo at Capital Tokyu Hotel
It has very spacious rooms and the hotel is conveniently situated atop many metro lines so traveling in the city is pretty easy. You’ll have a wonderful time there.
If you decide to buy a Grand Seiko don’t forget that atop the 10% tax free there is a 5% tourist discount in Mitsukoshi & Isetan with a guest card, you can claim the card directly in those stores. The tax free is done on the spot and no need to go to the airport to claim it etc. They have other watches too of course, I remember seeing a wonderful Habring.
For the reservations to restaurants you’ll need the hotel reception, tell them when and where and they’ll take care of the reservations.
There are also many very high end restaurants in omakase dot in , you can just get a membership on that site and make reservations directly to restaurants you fancy going.
Enjoy!
If you decide to buy a Grand Seiko don’t forget that atop the 10% tax free there is a 5% tourist discount in Mitsukoshi & Isetan with a guest card, you can claim the card directly in those stores. The tax free is done on the spot and no need to go to the airport to claim it etc. They have other watches too of course, I remember seeing a wonderful Habring.
For the reservations to restaurants you’ll need the hotel reception, tell them when and where and they’ll take care of the reservations.
There are also many very high end restaurants in omakase dot in , you can just get a membership on that site and make reservations directly to restaurants you fancy going.
Enjoy!
Oh and
Before boarding the Shinkansen for Kyoto get your bento box from the basement floor of Daimaru mall at the train station to have a nice feast in the train. There is an unbelievable array of food in basement stores of malls, and unlike European malls, these are the best the city has to offer, all the Japanese patisseries sweets sushi’s teas everything you can imagine.
I'm not really qualified to give advice here....
but I have read 'The Temple of the Golden Pavilion' and I have visited Japan! My suggestion would be to stay in radically different kinds of swanky places in the two cities: in Tokyo a high-rise city view hotel in like the Park Hyatt or the Andaz (where I stayed!). In Kyoto, a more traditional ryokan hotel like Hiiragiya (where I wish I'd stayed!).
We liked the Ritz in Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi...
...very convenient to subway and not far (a bus ride) to Shibuya or Ebisu. But that was near our old neighborhood in Hiroo so it was familiar for us...