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Japan was once known for its costs. The opinions of many have
isolated this country to quite the provocative lie or two.
The costs of a vacation in Tokyo are definitely quite affordable: I've
noted the presence of backpackers, young people and the like who have sat
at the boarding gate. When I first arrived in Tokyo's Narita
International Airport, I had
trusted one of the big chains with a pre-registered reservation
beforehand.
The Holiday Inn Tobu Narita is not a resort or poshy five-star that
you'd find on an exotic island. It's also different as it doesn't
carry the stigma that some many possess with shrugging at the Holiday
Inns based in North America. The closest description I can provide
is that it is a "business style" hotel.
The rooms are quite roomy compared to the living space one could find
back home; the hotel contains a newer, renovated West Wing and a
slightly older East Wing. I've stayed at both wings, but the hotel
tends to make the rooms in
its East Wing the more affordable category due to its age.
Each room is like a page out of the last decade; a nice colour
television featuring Japanese-style cable and pay television for a
fee, though one should not expect a multichannel universe lined
in the living rooms of home.
There's a tea and coffee set with a
kettle-style gizmo and the rooms in the West Wing offer a bidet:
a machine stuck to the toilet that can hose off your bottom to save
up on toilet paper.
The hotel features two restaurants, one specialising in Chinese food
and the other basing itself on buffets. Both are somewhat overpriced
if you only need food to survive but they have some nice specialties
if you are interested.
There are hotel shuttles from the hotel to and from the airport
as well as Narita town. The small town located east of Tokyo is a
nice day trip for walking and eating.
The shuttles serve as vital connections for those who either choose
not to ride in a pricey taxi from the airport, or for those going
into Tokyo's downtown through train service run from the station
at Narita town. This is probably Holiday Inn Tobu Narita's greatest
asset.
The staff are quick and efficient, the room is comfortable and
affordable, and tour groups choose to put their business here. For
what its worth, it's a nice place to stay while at Tokyo or on a
short layover.
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