Travel2Japan Volume 1, Summer, 2013 | Page 14

MAKING THE RIGHT ACCOMMODATION Location is a major factor. The Courtyard Tokyo Ginza is a 10 minute walk to the hustle, bustle, traffic and amazing food at the Tsukiji fish market. Confused by too many travel ‘experts’ telling you where to stay? The best way to gauge if a hotel will be right for you is to use the tried and true formula Location + Lifestyle + Attitude = Your Best Choice And of course each individual has their own concept of how each of the three factors serves their needs the best. It’s all a matter of personal interpretation. And this is also why too much dependence on online travel advice sites can lead you off in the wrong direction. Hotels constitute a very personal aspect of any holiday. Therefore advice from people who have actually stayed or at least visited the hotel (e.g. travel agents, travel advisors, the Japan National Tourism Organization etc.) is much more reliable than from anonymous online trip advisors. I was amused when I recently checked out a small hotel on an online advice site. While all the reviews were quite good, one person claimed to have left something in the room when they checked out. The hotel was contacted three hours later and the staff were not able to locate the missing object. Therefore the hotel was deemed to be ‘terrible’. At least when you seek personal testimonials about a hotel, you can look the person in the eye and guage whether this accommodation is really for you or not. Tatami Room at the Hagi No Yado Tomoe Ryokan (In the town of Hagi)