Passport Living – Travel for Life

Final Countdown!

Well, we’re in our final phases of trip preparation.  Our bags are (mostly) packed and all travel plans have been taken care of.  Kelley picks her mother up from the airport on Tuesday so she can dog-sit while we’re gone.  Today we’ve been cleaning the house and gathering up any little things we want to take with us.

We are going for 15 nights (16 if you count the time change on the flight over) and are each taking one small suitcase and one small bag.  We like to carry-on if possible at the start of our trip.  First, because we want to get through the airport as quickly as possible and start our vacation, and second because we don’t want to risk our luggage being delayed/lost.  Coming home, we often have bought souvenirs, etc. and then we usually check a bag.  This trip we have a long list of wish items so we will definitely have to check a bag or two on the way back.

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Mercure Ginza

Rating:

Location: Tokyo, Japan
Date Of Stay: October 31-November 2, 2006
Price We Paid: $144
Website: http://www.mercure.com

A great deal for Tokyo, this hotel is in an excellent location in Ginza just off the main thoroughfare with all the depatos.  Short walk to the Ginza line, and about 10-15 minute walk to Tokyo station.

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Mansions at Roppongi

Rating:

Location: Tokyo, Japan
Date Of Stay: April 9-12, 2005
Price We Paid: $200 (USD)
Website: http://www.oakwood.com

The Mansions is not really a hotel; it is really meant for longer-stay business travellers and offers apartment stays, although you can stay for as short a time as you wish (we stayed three nights). It does not offer the same services as a hotel (maid service every day, restaurants, etc.), but the people at the front desk were very nice, spoke English, and were able to make dinner reservations for us.

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Park Hyatt Tokyo

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Location: Tokyo, Japan
Date Of Stay: April 12-14, 2005
Price We Paid: $550 (USD)
Website: http://www.tokyo.park.hyatt.com

This was a big splurge for us. But, since Lost in Translation is what inspired us to travel to Japan (and it was our honeymoon), we simply had to stay here. We had a Park Deluxe room, and it was a large room by any standard, not just Tokyo. The room is understated, but luxurious.  Everything, from the service to the luxe bathroom and toiletries to the heated toilet, was fabulous. And, the view we had over downtown Shinjuku cannot be beat, with the window taking up one side of the whole room.  We had an interesting lunch at the Japanese restaurant and drinks at the New York Bar.

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Swissotel Nankai

Rating:

Location: Osaka, Japan
Date Of Stay: October 26, 2006
Price We Paid: $143
Website: http://swissotel.com

We booked the Swissotel Nankai mostly for its location, as this was our first night in Japan and did not want to worry about stumbling around in a jet lagged stupor searching for our hotel.  The Swissotel is located in Namba Station, a direct train ride from Kansai airport.  It’s also a short walk to the Dotomburi area, a busy spot with lots of places to eat.

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