PRICE:
Frommer's Highly Recommended

The closest hotel to Shinjuku Station's west side, the Keio Plaza is also West Shinjuku's oldest and biggest hotel, built in 1971. It has the distinction of being not only Japan's first skyscraper but also, at 47 stories high, still one of Tokyo's tallest and largest hotels. It's popular with both Japanese and foreign travelers, including group tours, and the lobby bustles with activity -- sometimes too much, making it difficult to get personalized service. But the hotel boasts a number of first-class facilities and services, including several that appeal to families, such as day care for children 2 months and older, and free access to an outdoor pool and children's pool. With almost 20 restaurants and bars, choices seem limitless. Rooms are small but comfortably furnished, with views of the surrounding Shinjuku area. The most expensive are the Plaza Premier rooms on the 35th to 37th floors, with extra soundproofing, bedside controls for lights and curtains, MD/CD players, and safes with electric outlets so that laptops can recharge while being stowed; Plaza Comfort rooms on the 28th through 33rd floors add humidifiers, large working desks, focused bed lights, and separate tub and shower areas. Tip: Become a member of the Executive International Club (it's free), and you qualify for discounted rates on higher-priced rooms, complimentary buffet breakfast, and use of a club lounge. Facilities: 13 restaurants; 3 bars; 2 lounges; outdoor pool w/wading pool; fitness room; sauna (men only); children's day-care center (daily 9am-6pm; evenings by reservation only); concierge; tour desk; business center; shopping arcade; salon; 24-hr. room service; in-room massage; same-day laundry/dry-cleaning service; nonsmoking rooms; executive-level rooms; in-house doctor and dentist.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Tokyo, 10th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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