Japan Itinerary-May 2024

[soniam]

We had this problem in Germany last year lol. We stayed places that had a washer/dryer combo in the room and it was so hard to figure out what each mode was for even with google translate. It also took all day for the clothes to dry. Luckily the place we’re staying at in Tokyo has English directions next to the washer and dryer.

Haha! I live in Germany! Driers are actually not that common here. That’s why small places don’t have space for them. And these washer/drier combos are horrible. If you go to a German hardware store they will tell you not to waste Your money on them as it takes ages for stuff to dry. Our driers are mainly working without an external exhaust for the steam, so it takes longer to beginn with anyway.

I still am not totally sure which American washing Maschine setting I should use. But so far I haven’t ruin anything and stuff appeared clean enough for using during the vacation until I return to my German washing machine.

I wish America used the same settings as the rest of the world. This cold, normal, whites, heavy duty stuff is confusing. Just let me pick a temp and possibly time or dirt heaviness. I’m American; I should be used to it. Need the darn manual to decode what the settings actually mean, even in my own washer/dryer.

 

[Haley R]

I wish America used the same settings as the rest of the world. This cold, normal, whites, heavy duty stuff is confusing. Just let me pick a temp and possibly time or dirt heaviness. I’m American; I should be used to it. Need the darn manual to decode what the settings actually mean, even in my own washer/dryer.

Haha I like all of the different settings on our washer.

 

[DCLMP]

The new Hyatt House Shibuya has in room laundry and a fitness center. Location looks to be excellent. Good use of points if you can find the availability. If you want to see what the fitness center looks like, there's a virtual tour in the second picture here.



We used those coin laundry machines 8 years ago. I wonder if they've changed them yet. Did a couple drying cycles, gave up, and spread the clothes around the room to air dry. Had to blow dry my jeans the next day lol. Beats hand washing though and kids had fun at the arcade there.

That's perfect except they aren't excepting points and it's pretty pricey. I've been finding that a lot with Hyatt lately.

 

[DCLMP]

It looks like a can use Hyatt points in Kyoto and Marriott points at TDL, but man that's a lot of Marriott points. I will probably suck it up and book the Hyatt house. They upped the points for the Grand Hyatt from 25k to 30k since I looked last. I changed trip from Feb to Nov. It's probably busier but I dent' like cold weather.

 

[wanderlust7]

It looks like a can use Hyatt points in Kyoto and Marriott points at TDL, but man that's a lot of Marriott points. I will probably suck it up and book the Hyatt house. They upped the points for the Grand Hyatt from 25k to 30k since I looked last. I changed trip from Feb to Nov. It's probably busier but I dent' like cold weather.

You can set up an alert for specific room types with openhotelalert.com At the Hyatt House Shibuya, the King Room is the standard room. If it's available, it should be available with points. The King Suite and Twin Suite are the standard suites, which they sometimes make available with points.

 

[DCLMP]

You can set up an alert for specific room types with openhotelalert.com At the Hyatt House Shibuya, the King Room is the standard room. If it's available, it should be available with points. The King Suite and Twin Suite are the standard suites, which they sometimes make available with points.

I'm traveling with my 20 year old son so I need two beds.

Well never mind I see the king room has a sofa bed. I'll try that alert, regardless I still pay cash if it doesn't become available. I can use my points on other parts of the trip. I don't have enough hotel points to cover the whole trip. I'm shooting for about half.

I still haven't locked down my dates I have early Nov, late Nov and early Dec flights on Hold with AA. I think I've ruled out late November trip. I don't think I want to be gone Thanksgiving. I'll make up my mind in the next couple of days. I keep holding out hope for better flights but I don't think it's going to happen. December gives me a couple more days than Nov so that may be in the lead right now.

 

[Haley R]

I bought 2 out of the 4 park tickets we need for Tokyo Disney. I think we will most likely alternate between the two parks but I want to try and get a reservation at Crystal Palace before picking our park for the next two days.

 

[DCLMP]

After Tokyo I plan on going to Osaka, and Kyoto and Hiroshima. I know these are all pretty close together by train. I plan on spending about 5 days between these cities and I'd rather just be at one hotel and do day trips. Do you think Osaka or Kyoto is better as a base. I think we will do Universal too.

 

[Kwami]

After Tokyo I plan on going to Osaka, and Kyoto and Hiroshima. I know these are all pretty close together by train. I plan on spending about 5 days between these cities and I'd rather just be at one hotel and do day trips. Do you think Osaka or Kyoto is better as a base. I think we will do Universal too.

I did a trip like that once and stayed in Kobe. It's usually cheaper than the other cities and it's kind of nice in its own way, too. You can get to Osaka in 15 minutes, Kyoto in 30, and Hiroshima in just over an hour. Consider a stop at Himeji, too!

 

[gelatoni fan]

After Tokyo I plan on going to Osaka, and Kyoto and Hiroshima. I know these are all pretty close together by train. I plan on spending about 5 days between these cities and I'd rather just be at one hotel and do day trips. Do you think Osaka or Kyoto is better as a base. I think we will do Universal too.

For this, Osaka will be the best, ideally at a hotel that's walking distance from Shin-Osaka station or Osaka station.
The Kansai-Hiroshima 5 day train pass will cost less than the round trip bullet train between Osaka and Hiroshima. It doesn't cover the bullet train between Osaka and Kyoto, but you can take a slightly slower JR train to get from Osaka to Kyoto that takes just under 1/2 an hour.

Osaka station is more lively at night and closer to Universal while Shin-Osaka station is where you'll take the bullet train to Hiroshima (and the bullet train to/from Tokyo if that's how you're getting to Osaka).

 

[Haley R]

After Tokyo I plan on going to Osaka, and Kyoto and Hiroshima. I know these are all pretty close together by train. I plan on spending about 5 days between these cities and I'd rather just be at one hotel and do day trips. Do you think Osaka or Kyoto is better as a base. I think we will do Universal too.

I’m not a lot of help because when we went in 2019 we stayed at an apartment hotel right next to Fushimi Inari. Most people probably wouldn’t enjoy that because it was further from some things but we loved waking up early and going to the shrine

 

[DCLMP]

I can stay at the Hyatt place in Kyoto for 6500 points a night. That will most likely be the winner. Reviews are good and it's above the train station. I don't think will go to Universal. I feel like I can do that in Orlando when Nintendo world opens. Unless there's something mind blowing and unique about the one in Osaka that I don't know about.

 

[soniam]

I can stay at the Hyatt place in Kyoto for 6500 points a night. That will most likely be the winner. Reviews are good and it's above the train station. I don't think will go to Universal. I feel like I can do that in Orlando when Nintendo world opens. Unless there's something mind blowing and unique about the one in Osaka that I don't know about.

Jaws. Doesn't exist that way anywhere else. Flying Dinosaur is supposed to be a really intense coaster.

 

[Flossbolna]

I can stay at the Hyatt place in Kyoto for 6500 points a night. That will most likely be the winner. Reviews are good and it's above the train station. I don't think will go to Universal. I feel like I can do that in Orlando when Nintendo world opens. Unless there's something mind blowing and unique about the one in Osaka that I don't know about.

Are you sure the Hyatt Place is above the train station. The location I am getting shown is close to the Emperor’s Palace. Not really near the train station.

We like the train station area for staying in Kyoto. That’s where we stayed in 2017 and where we will return to this year. Same hotel. Mainly because we got an amazing deal on Expedia there. The RIHGA Royal Kyoto. We are paying 80€ a night including breakfast.

 

[gelatoni fan]

Are you sure the Hyatt Place is above the train station. The location I am getting shown is close to the Emperor’s Palace. Not really near the train station.

We like the train station area for staying in Kyoto. That’s where we stayed in 2017 and where we will return to this year. Same hotel. Mainly because we got an amazing deal on Expedia there. The RIHGA Royal Kyoto. We are paying 80€ a night including breakfast.

The Hyatt Place is literally up the stairs from Marutamachi station on the Karasuma line. Several stops from Kyoto station.

A nice thing about the Hyatt Place is that if it's raining, you don't have to go out in the rain to get to Marutamachi or to transfer at Kyoto station.

It seems like the goal is to find an inexpensive hotel in the area to book using points. In that case, the Hyatt Place can't be beat unless they go for a Comfort Hotel which is a lower tier brand.

 

[Flossbolna]

The Hyatt Place is literally up the stairs from Marutamachi station on the Karasuma line. Several stops from Kyoto station.

A nice thing about the Hyatt Place is that if it's raining, you don't have to go out in the rain to get to Marutamachi or to transfer at Kyoto station.

It seems like the goal is to find an inexpensive hotel in the area to book using points. In that case, the Hyatt Place can't be beat unless they go for a Comfort Hotel which is a lower tier brand.

Ah, so it’s at a station, but not at Kyoto station. Makes sense. It does sound like a great deal for points.

 

[DCLMP]

The Hyatt Place is literally up the stairs from Marutamachi station on the Karasuma line. Several stops from Kyoto station.

A nice thing about the Hyatt Place is that if it's raining, you don't have to go out in the rain to get to Marutamachi or to transfer at Kyoto station.

It seems like the goal is to find an inexpensive hotel in the area to book using points. In that case, the Hyatt Place can't be beat unless they go for a Comfort Hotel which is a lower tier brand.

Yes that was my goal. The Hyatt house in Tokyo is 1,972 for 5 nights. No points available. I'm hoping to use points at the Sheraton for the TDL portion. If you can book five nights one night is free. I should have around 300k Marriott points by the end of May.

The less money I spend on Hotels the more Money I have for other things. What's nice is all these hotels have laundry facilities which means I can pack lite. My plan is 5 nights Tokyo HH, 5 nights Kyoto HP and then end with 5 nights the Sheraton.

 

[gelatoni fan]

Yes that was my goal. The Hyatt house in Tokyo is 1,972 for 5 nights. No points available. I'm hoping to use points at the Sheraton for the TDL portion. If you can book five nights one night is free. I should have around 300k Marriott points by the end of May.

The less money I spend on Hotels the more Money I have for other things. What's nice is all these hotels have laundry facilities which means I can pack lite. My plan is 5 nights Tokyo HH, 5 nights Kyoto HP and then end with 5 nights the Sheraton.

There can be a long wait for the laundry machines at the Hyatt Place in Kyoto so it's best to do laundry at the Hyatt House.

The value for points at the Sheraton is pretty bad so I generally prefer to just pay cash there. Make sure you do the math if you have other trips planned where Marriott points may be more valuable.

 

[DCLMP]

There can be a long wait for the laundry machines at the Hyatt Place in Kyoto so it's best to do laundry at the Hyatt House.

The value for points at the Sheraton is pretty bad so I generally prefer to just pay cash there. Make sure you do the math if you have other trips planned where Marriott points may be more valuable.

All good advice and I agree with you about the value of the points. Whenever I plan a trip I to make it as cheap as possible and then go up from there as things get closer and finances are clearer. I'm not the best at thinking months in advance. The Hyatt regency near TDL is only 12k a night and they have a shuttle. I have not priced out a TDL hotel yet.

The hotel point redemptions get worse every year. Hyatt is still pretty decent if they offer award rooms. They seem to very limited. I have never gotten an IHG card. I don't if there's any value to that or not.

 

[gelatoni fan]

All good advice and I agree with you about the value of the points. Whenever I plan a trip I to make it as cheap as possible and then go up from there as things get closer and finances are clearer. I'm not the best at thinking months in advance. The Hyatt regency near TDL is only 12k a night and they have a shuttle. I have not priced out a TDL hotel yet.

The hotel point redemptions get worse every year. Hyatt is still pretty decent if they offer award rooms. They seem to very limited. I have never gotten an IHG card. I don't if there's any value to that or not.

The Hyatt Regency is a bit inconvenient since the shuttle can take like 1/2 an hour and the drop off area is a bit of a walk from each park. I definitely recommend staying at the Sheraton over the Hyatt Regency for infrequent visitors to Tokyo Disney.

For your itinerary, there probably isn't much benefit to getting an IHG card.