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Keio Plaza Hotel, Shinjuku, Tokyo
Its been a while since I stayed here and I am trying to remember a lot of this from memory but I think I´ve cracked it. The Keio Plaza Hotel is based right in the middle of the business district of Tokyo, Japan and only minutes from the busiest train station in Japan, Shinjuku. Making it ideal for the Sightseer and the businessman alike. As it is in the middle of the business area there are also lots of interesting buildings closeby. Across the road from the hotel is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (Tokyo Council Offices) Well worth a visit although its only open to the public on Fridays. There is also the Sumitomo Building, which is the highest in the area and has an observatory which can be visited any time during the day. Its worth a visit as the centre of the building is hollow and you can see right down to the bottom floor from the top and vice versa. The hotel itself is two multi-storey towers and is one of the tallest in the area. These towers house 1500 rooms located on 47 floors in one tower and 34 floors on the other. Each room is double or a twin and these are quite sizeable compared to most English hotels. Most have King Size double beds if they are a double and all have on-suite bathrooms, with Full size bath, Shower, Sink, Toilet and Bidet. All rooms have a view of the city of Tokyo and the higher the floor the better the view. However if you have a lower floor room you can go up to the Ambrosia Bar which is on the 44 Floor, where you can see, well as far as the eye can see! Which on a fine, clear day can be miles. The rooms themselves are all air conditioned, with a mini bar (at extra charge), Satellite TV with CNN and ESPN Sports in English. All rooms have a High Speed Internet link and if you have a laptop an adapter can be rented free from the hotel. You will require your own laptop though unless you use the machines in the Internet bar. Did I mention its free. Oh! Each room has a dresser unit and two chairs and a table tastefully situated in front of the window. This is unless you have a suite room, which has a separate lounge area with 4 chairs and a table, settee area with TV and separate bedroom. Just a quick note about Japanese hotel bathrooms. The bathrooms are assembled at the manufacturers plant. This starts with a fibreglass box (in two parts a bottom three quarters and a top quarter that are jointed together at the hotel), to which all the fittings are er! Fixed on the outside! The bath, sink, etc. are fitted inside and all the plumbing´s connected. The bathroom is then finished off, Tiles floor etc, light fittings. This finished bathroom is then taken to the hotel and fitted in to the rooms. This design makes them leak proof. Imagine you´re sat in the bath and it overflows. No problem and no nasty water damage for the hotel. Plus it makes them easier to replace when the bathrooms life is over. You might think they are a bit cheap as they look like a plastic box, there is a reason. The facilities at the hotel are superb, There is a wide selection of bars and restaurants, the bars are reasonably priced for Tokyo but there are cheaper restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. Plus Shinjuku station is 5 minutes walk away from the hotel (Just remember to use the side exit and not the front as this adds another 5 minutes) and this station will take you anywhere in Tokyo quickly and cheaply. The hotel also boasts a swimming pool and a Tennis court but this is not a hotel for lying at the side of the pool all day. Once you walk through the doors of the hotel, the splendour is amazing. The main doors lead into the reception area, which is a massive open space covered entirely in different coloured marble, with marble pillars down each side and all this is reflected in a mirrored ceiling. The receptionists are super polite, as are most in Japan and have a super efficient check in speed. You will then be walked to the main lift area by the bell boy or girl (who will usually talk to you lots if your English, as they get little chance to practise), which is at the end of the main entrance hall. From here we have the lifts to all floors and two escalators. One escalator to the basement floors and one up to the restaurants and shops areas which occupy the first 4 floors. There are also company meeting rooms on the 47th floor and 10th floor, a business centre on the 34th floor and a creche on the 30th floor. So whats all this opulence cost per night, well it ain´t cheap unfortunately with prices starting at 25,000 yen a night to (get this) 250,000 and that´s before 5% tax. By the way 250,000 yen is about £1,350 pounds. For the price, at weekends you can get a discount, this is a fabulous hotel and for the traveller who wishes to explore Tokyo from a central location is excellent. Even for a one-night stay is ideally located, again, near the busiest railway station in Japan. I can recommend this hotel if in Tokyo as due to the size of the rooms it is almost like going home at the end of the day trampling the streets of Tokyo. Links
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