Just this past weekend my parents and an aunt came up to visit me in Tokyo. Originally I was only to join them for two days (on the weekend) but after a little bit of juggling of my schedule and some help from Kuroneko Yamato (they brought me a couple of packages earlier than scheduled and allowed me to open up one evening after work), I was able to see them for four out of the six days they were here. Not bad.
Just for the record, they stayed at the absolute high and low ends of the hotel chains in Shinagawa: Toyoko Inn and String Intercontinental. Toyoko Inn is located on the bustling west side (Takanawa) of Shingawa, full of shops and eateries and a terrific "ramen alley" where you can choose from six or seven different types of ramen noodles and fill up for about 700-800 yen ($6 or 5 EUR). The strings, in contrast, is located in a quieter area full of office buildings and the target of redevelopment spanning the last, I don't know, maybe ten years. Its end (the "Konan" side) also has its share of shops and restaurants, and upscale stores like Isetan Queen's and even a branch of Dean&Deluca (where you can buy an ever-so-chic denim logo bag for 2,100 yen.)
They were thrilled to be in the Strings, a five-star located on the 26th and above floors of an office building and perhaps a refuge for stars and businessmen; but being at the Toyoko meant breakfasts of freshly baked croissants and coffee, not too shabby. Of course, normally, to stay in the Strings you need to pay upwards of 30,000 to 40,000 yen -- best to stay there if you can on a free night or as part of a tour group or package.
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