Japan's Hotel Room Rates Soar

Above, Hotel Sunroute Asakusa in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Finding affordable accommodations in Japan is getting just a bit harder to do.

Since Japan has ended its restrictions on foreign visitors, the room rates of Japan hotels have soared. Some of the hikes have been month-by-month. 

According to Nikkei Asia:

TOKYO -- Hotel prices in Japan have soared as government subsidies boosting travel kick in and foreign tourists return, with room rates nearly 20% higher in December compared to the same month before the pandemic delivered a serious blow to the sector.

Not only are more tourists coming in, but a labor crunch has forced some hotels to limit the number of rooms on offer, which in turn has cut supply and driven prices up.

The average December room price in Japan was 17,127 yen ($131), according to American hotel market data company STR, 10.8% higher than the previous month. The figure is 18.4% higher than the average in December 2019.

That marked the second consecutive month the average price was higher than the same month in 2019. December's growth rate over the same month in 2019 was 15 percentage points higher than that of November, while the occupancy rate stood at 75%, just under the 2019 rate of slightly over 80%.

Japan isn't the only place where hotel rooms have soared. A friend and I have been checking hotel room rates in Phoenix, Arizona and many of them are $200 and above per night. 

To read more, go here. 

Japan Hotels Slash Prices

Above, the Hotel Sunroute Asakusa in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If the coronavirus acts like it's common cold and flu cousins, it may greatly subside by spring (which is only a few weeks away).

Hopefully it will, but in the meantime, hotels in Japan are slashing prices for the busy early-spring travel season as occupancy rates have plunged.

The Nikkei Asian Review reported:

As Japan suffers a coronavirus-induced drop in travel, hotel chains are slashing room rates for about 30% of stays during the normally busy early spring season, a Nikkei analysis of online booking sites shows. 

Prices were down on average about 20% on Monday from those offered on Feb. 26 as shown on the Rakuten Travel and Jalan.net online booking sites for 1,087 of the 3,624 stays covered. 

The average discount was deepest for hotel stays in Fukuoka, which dropped 25%, followed by Kyoto at 24%. Prices for many stays in central Kyoto have more than halved in the last five days. 

In Tokyo, where the average price dropped 22%, stays in the foreign-tourist-heavy area of Ueno-Asakusa showed steep declines.

To read more, go here. 

Tokyo Cheapo: "How To Find Cheap Hotels In Tokyo"

Above, the hotel we stayed at in 2015 in Asakusa. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Along with round-trip airfares, the next biggest expense one makes when traveling to Japan (or anywhere else) are lodging expenses.

Fortunately, Japan has many options on accommodations. They have budget hotels, business hotels, capsule hotels, ryokans and high-end hotels.

Above, Hotel Fukudaya ryokan in Shibuya. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Most people not on some company's expense account will opt for cheaper accommodations, but don't know where to stay in Tokyo.

Tokyo Cheapo has posted a guide on "How To Find Cheap Hotels In Tokyo".

They begin it with:

Choosing holiday accommodation in the capital can be daunting, so we’ve put together this guide to cheap hotels in Tokyo to help you find a good spot to rest, for less. Tokyo might be one of the most expensive cities in the world, but there’s no shortage of budget hotels and other affordable accommodation for families, couples and backpackers alike. No matter what your budget or tastes—our list of top places to grab some shut-eye has your visit covered.

To read more, go here. 

"How To Catch The Keisei Line From Narita"

Above, the Keisei Line ticket counter below Terminal One at Narita Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Whenever I book a room at my preferred hotel in Tokyo, the Hotel Asia Center of Japan, I generally take the Narita Express to Tokyo Station rom Narita Airport to catch a connecting subway to my hotel. If no rooms are available there (due to different reasons), I have stayed in the Ueno or Asakusa areas of Tokyo. This happened the last two times I visited Japan. If this is the case, I would take the Keisei Line from Narita to Ueno Station and take a quick cab ride to my hotel either in Ueno or Asakusa.

Above, the Keisei Skyliner. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The most memorable ride I had on the Keisei Line was in February 2014 when I was stuck nearly for 24 hours on a Keisei Line train midway between Narita Airport and Tokyo due to an unusually heavy snowstorm that arrived almost at the same time as I did.

Above, the Keisei Line train I was stuck in due to a heavy snowstorm. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tokyo Cheapo has an article on "How To Catch The Keisei Line From Narita".

It starts with:

If you’re going to be taking the Keisei Line from Narita Airport to your accommodation in Tokyo, you might want to give this walk-through a read first. To make your experience as smooth and stress-free as possible, we’ve put together a guide on getting from Point A (the Arrivals hall) to Point B (your destination). Let’s go! 

What a lot of travelers to Tokyo don’t realize is that Narita Airport is actually in Chiba—that’s the next prefecture over. Getting from the airport, which is out in the sticks, to the big city can take a little longer and be a bit more complex than expected. Luckily, both the Keisei Line and Japan Railways run trains throughout the day, including dedicated airport expresses. If you’re happy to pay for speed, Keisei’s fastest option, the Skyliner, can get you to downtown Tokyo in as little as 41 minutes. There are also a number of other ways to get from Narita to Tokyo.

To read the article, go here. 

Tokyo Hotels By District

Above, a stay at Shinjuku's Hotel Gracery will put guests up close to Godzilla. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Remember that scene in National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) where the Griswold family pulled off the freeway in a city and found themselves in a "not-too-nice" neighborhood?

Fortunately, when it comes to Tokyo, I have not seen any bad neighborhoods.

When looking for a hotel to stay in Tokyo, I generally look for price and the close proximity to a train or subway station. I have my favorite hotels in Tokyo, such as the Hotel Asia Center of Japan and the Hotel Sunroute in Asakusa.

But if you are a newbie making your first trip to Japan and want to see what different areas of Tokyo have to offer in accommodations, the U.K.'s Telegraph has an article on just that.

They begin with:

A neighbourhood guide to the best places to stay in Tokyo, as chosen by our resident expert, including the best hotels in Shibuya, Shinjuku, Roppongi and more. 

They also provide prices, but they are in English pounds. You'll have to convert them to dollars in an online currency converter.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Tourists Looking For Cheaper Accommodations

Above, Hotel Sunroute Asakusa in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan has been breaking records in numbers of foreign tourists visiting the country. But those numbers haven't translated into higher numbers for accommodations.

According to the Asahi Shimbun:

Japan’s tourism authorities are baffled. The number of overseas tourists is increasing to new all-time highs, but that rise is not necessarily reflected in the number of foreign customers staying at hotels or Japanese-style ryokan inns. 

So where are they all going? 

One theory is that they are spending nights in airport lobbies, express night buses, love hotels, 24-hour public bath houses, Internet cafes, or other venues not included when tourism authorities tally up the count.

To read more, go here. 

Tokyo Cheapo's Asakusa Hotel Guide

Above, the Tokyo Skytree and Asahi Beer Hall are just across the Sumida River from Asakusa. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Asakusa is one of my favorite sections of Tokyo. During my 2015 trip to Japan, I stayed at the Hotel Sunroute Asakusa, which is within walking distance to Sensoji and Nakamise Street. Asakusa is also close by to the Asahi Beer Hall and Tokyo Skytree. And, Kappabashi "Kitchen Town" is a good walk or a short cab ride away.

There are other places in Asakusa to stay at. Accommodations range from five-star hotels to capsule hotels.

Above, my "base of operations" in 2015. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tokyo Cheapo has an article on where to stay in the Asakusa area.

They begin with:

Asakusa is one of the most popular places for tourists to stay in Tokyo—and there are good reasons for this. For one thing, the area’s got history. Not the dull, textbook kind of history—the colorful stuff of pleasure houses (geisha central), trade and wild tradition. Still a renowned entertainment district, good food abounds in Asakusa (the noodles are particularly nom-worthy), as do shopping and sightseeing opportunities. 

The area is a dense tangle of old-meets-new on the banks of the Sumida River, and in the midst of its sprawl of homes, stores and sacred spots you’ll find reasonably priced accommodation aplenty. An Asakusa hotel can range from capsule to swanky, all just a 15-minute train ride from Tokyo Station. Read on to see what’s available.

Above, you know you're in Kappabashi "Kitchen Town" when you see the giant chef. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Using Deregulation To Boost Tourism

Above, the main entrance of Hotel Sunroute Asakusa in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan is taking steps in deregulation to boost foreign tourism numbers.

According to Nikkei Asian Review:

TOKYO -- Japan's tourism ministry is set to call for more deregulation to boost the number of foreign tourists to the country. 

The ministry and its Japan Tourism Agency plan to propose bills aimed at ending the dominance of licensed bilingual tour guides and making it easier for hotels and inns to sell package tours, among other things. 

The number of tourists to Japan reached 19.7 million in 2015, and the government has set a new target of 40 million for 2020.

While it sounds well and good that the Japanese government is deregulating things to boost tourism, I have to question the wisdom of this when the country has inadequate numbers of accommodations for visitors even as I type this. The number of available rooms were just fine when tourism was below 10 million annually. They will need to accelerate the construction of more hotels to meet the increased demand, especially since they expect to double the number of visitors in the next four years.

Above, Hotel Asia Center of Japan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I've noticed during the planning stages of my last two trips to Japan that it became more difficult to find reasonably-priced hotel rooms in Tokyo. This was made necessary as my favorite Tokyo hotel, Asian Center of Japan, was either booked up or part of their facilities were undergoing renovation, thereby cutting the number of available rooms. So I had to look elsewhere.

To read more, go here.

Hotels Wooing Guests To Book Directly With Discounts

Above, we booked our room at this Tokyo hotel directly with the hotel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Hotels are looking to book rooms directly with travelers rather than rely on online booking agencies like Expedia and Priceline by offering tempting discounts.

According to Japan Today:

NEW YORK —Hotels are getting more aggressive in their fight to get travelers to book reservations directly with them instead of through online travel agencies such as Expedia and Priceline. 

Hyatt Hotels Corp has become the latest chain to offer guests a discount for booking a room directly on its own website. Members of its Gold Passport loyalty program can save up to 10 percent at hotels in the U.S., Canada and Australia. 

The move follows similar campaigns by Hilton Worldwide, Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. 

Hotel companies have a tortured relationship with online travel booking sites. They rely on the sites to bring travelers to their properties and fill rooms. But companies like Expedia and Priceline charge commissions of 15 percent or higher. The hotel chains would rather keep that money themselves.

I have only booked a hotel room through an online travel agency once, with Travelocity, and that was for The Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas last December. The room was bundled with round-trip air fares, so some money was saved.

Above, our room at The Mirage was booked through Travelocity. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Our upcoming Hawaii trip was booked through the Automobile Club of Southern California. It was a great package (lots of money saved) for our flights to and from Hawaii, Oahu and the Big Island and one week's hotel rooms at two different hotels included.

I generally book hotel rooms in Japan directly with the hotels.

To read more, go here.

Japanese Government To Relax Hotel Floor Area Ratio

Above, inside the Hotel Sunroute Asakusa. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With the big rise in foreign tourism to Japan, the shortage of hotel rooms and other accommodations has become more apparent.

But, the Japanese government is taking steps to encourage more hotel construction.

The latest is from The Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun):

The Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry plans to relax the floor area ratio of buildings so that larger hotels can be built on sites with the same areas when hotels are newly built or rebuilt, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned. 

The ministry reportedly will notify local governments across the nation about the measure as early as this summer. Given that a shortage of hotels has been becoming serious in major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka due to a rapid increase in the number of foreign tourists, the measure is aimed at encouraging construction and improvement of hotels, according to sources. It also is expected that even in regional cities, if old buildings are rebuilt into hotels, it will help attract more tourists to these cities. 

If the floor area ratio is relaxed, it will become possible to construct hotels with a larger number of floors and guestrooms.

To read more, go here. 

The Tourist Flood, Japan Struggles

Japan set a new record last year by attracting nearly 20 million foreign visitors. They nearly met their 2020 goal five years early.

Above, our hotel during last year's visit to Japan. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While Japan is pleased with the hordes of tourists visiting the country, it also presents problems that needs to be addressed.

According to the Wall Street Journal:

Two years ago, Mr. Abe set a goal of attracting 20 million visitors by 2020, the year Tokyo holds the Olympic Games, another sure bet to attract more visitors. With that number in sight late last year, he raised the target to 30 million, without specifying a date. 

But Japan is struggling to handle even two thirds of that number, hobbled by a shortage of hotel rooms and insufficient immigration agents that cause long airport lines.

Last October, when we arrived at Narita International Airport, all lines at the Immigration section were only about 3-4 people deep. Maybe we were just lucky when we arrived when we did. Other times, I've had to wait about 20 minutes before reaching an Immigration agent.

If the trend continues, they will need to expand their facilities for handling the influx of foreign visitors.

On the accommodation side, I had to put a little more effort to book rooms in Tokyo than in years past. Again, if the trend continues, this will get worse.

To read more, go here.

Hotel Sunroute Asakusa

Above, the front entrance of the hotel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When planning my recent trip to Japan, I had wanted to make reservations at the Hotel Asia Center of Japan, my favorite hotel in Tokyo, for the Tokyo portion of the trip.

Unfortunately, the hotel has been undergoing renovations and were set to fully reopen at about the time of my trip, so there were no rooms available.

So, I checked around and decided on the Hotel Sunroute Asakusa. I had stayed at another hotel of the Sunroute chain back in 2007, so I wasn't concerned about the quality of the hotel.

The hotel's location was ideal for visits to Sensoji, Nakamise Street, Tokyo Skytree and the Sumida River as it was in walking distance to those places or the subway to others. The Hotel Sunroute Asakusa is just blocks away from the Rox department store and a short cab ride away (the meter never changed) from the Kappabashi "Kitchen Town" distict.

The hotel itself is a modern facility with a very friendly and capable staff and it has a Jonathan's restaurant connected to it for easy access for meals, although the hotel does have room service available. There are also two Denny's restaurants, a Starbucks and a Mr. Donut as well as several convenience stores within walking distance from the hotel. The rooms are typical for Tokyo two and three-star hotels, a bit smallish. But, one does not go to Japan to just sit in a hotel room, right?

Above, a Denny's and a 7-Eleven convenience store within easy walking distance. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The room rate for us was ¥16,550 for two adults, which was reasonable in my view.

We stayed there during the first several days of our vacation before going off to Atami, Osaka and Kyoto and then after our return to Tokyo. We received a hearty "welcome back" from the desk clerk.

If one wants to stay in the Asakusa area of Tokyo, I would recommend the Hotel Sunroute Asakusa.

For their English website, go here.

Back In The U.S. of A.

Above, I think I'm ready to face L.A.'s traffic again. Photo by Studio Nanairo.

The trip to Japan is over and I am back in the wilds of the San Fernando Valley. I am tired! But pleased at how much fun the trip was. Having girlfriend Denise Santos and her son Aiden along added to the trip's enjoyment.

I just finished unpacking and there's lots of stuff to sort and put away.

It looks like I may have brought back some milder weather to Los Angeles. When we left, it was around 100­­° in the city.

There were a couple of SNAFUs. First, my luggage didn't arrive with me on the flight. The fine folks at the TSA had something to do with that. Singapore Airlines, although not at fault, gave me ¥12000 to buy some essentials at the airport.

The second was our fault. Denise had to return to L.A. on Saturday, but we got to the airport ten minutes late for her to board. A measly ten minutes! She had to stay an extra day in Japan.

But, overall, the trip went well and I can start working on the updated edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

Regarding the photo at top, since the check-out time at the hotel (the Hotel Sunroute Asakusa) is 11:00, I had to kill some time before heading to Narita International Airport. So, I decided to have my own photo-shoot at the same place where Denise had hers. That was a fun two hours! A friend said I looked more like a Jedi Master than Japanese.

For you guys who have wives or "significant others", I highly recommend having her (or him, depending upon your, uh, preference) do a photo session and have one done of yourself  while in Japan. The studio we went to is near Nakamise Street in Asakusa and it is the Studio Nanairo. Their website: www.nana-iro.tokyo.

Here's one of Denise's:

Photo by Studio Nanairo.