3 of the Best-Value Points Hotels in Tokyo
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Known for its beautiful Cherry Blossom season, engaging culture, and countless tourist attractions, Tokyo is a must-see city. With attractions like the Imperial Palace, the Ginza shopping district, Ueno Park and Zoo, and the Meiji Shrine, there is a never ending list of attractions — especially with the upcoming Olympics in 2020. You also have a wealth of ways to get to Japan using points and miles, but given how notoriously expensive Tokyo can be, staying in the city isn't cheap.
Fortunately, there are a wealth of hotel options for using points to defray the costs of your accommodations, and today we'll take a look at three of the best-value properties for your next trip.
Courtyard Tokyo Station
If you are looking for a beautifully designed property without a large points price tag, the Courtyard Tokyo Station is the perfect property for you. With a great mix of amenities for business and leisure — including 24-hour gym access and wraparound, outdoor seating for the on-property café — any type of traveler would feel right at home. However, be aware that the rooms are quite modest in size.
As this hotel is a Category 5 property, the standard award rate is 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points (worth $280 according to TPG's valuations) per night. Rooms at the property start at roughly $350/night, which will get you a minimum of 1 cent per point, a nice boost over TPG's valuation.
There are many ways you can earn Marriott points, but the quickest way is to add a Marriott Bonvoy credit card to your wallet. Here are a few good options along with their corresponding welcome bonuses:
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card: Earn 125,000 bonus points + 1 free night (valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $5,000 in the first three months from account opening (total of up to 175,000 bonus points).
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in purchases within the first three months. Plus, earn up to $200 in statement credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants within the first six months of card membership. Terms Apply
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card: Earn 125,000 Marriott bonus points and two bonus free night awards (each worth up to 50,000 points) after you use your new card to make $5,000 in eligible purchases within the first three months of card membership. Certain hotels have resort fees. Offer ends 11/3/21. Terms apply.
Each of these cards comes with an annual free night certificate valid up to 35,000 points per night (up to 50k points on the Marriott Brilliant) — which will work at this property on standard and off-peak dates.
Hyatt Regency Tokyo
If you're looking for a property in the Shinjuku district, the Hyatt Regency Tokyo will perfectly suit your needs. You'll enjoy a bustling shopping and entertainment area just minutes away along with the vast amenities of the hotel — including an indoor pool, spa, laundry services and Regency Club for those with mid- or top-tier Hyatt status. The hotel also provides complimentary shuttle service to and from the Shinjuku station, putting the rest of the city within easy reach.
This property is currently a Category 3 hotel, which has a base award rate of 12,000 World of Hyatt points (worth $204). The base cash rate for the property typically runs over $250 with taxes, which will put you over 2 cents per point.
If you are looking to earn valuable World of Hyatt points, consider applying for The World of Hyatt Credit Card, which is currently offering 25,000 World of Hyatt points after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening and an additional 25,000 points after you spend $6,000 total on purchases within the first six months of account opening. Note that the card also awards an annual free night certificate valid at Category 1-4 properties, so this could be a great spot at which to use this. You'll also automatically earn World of Hyatt Discoverist status as well, which can enhance your experience during your stay.
ANA Intercontinental Tokyo
The Intercontinental Tokyo may not be the most economical option, but it's actually a great value for your IHG points. The hotel is elegantly designed and conveniently located near downtown Tokyo for all your tourist or business needs alike. While standard, classic rooms are simple and relatively small, you may not want to spend much time there anyway — given the six restaurants, four bars, café, and bakery on property. One such dining option is Pierre Gagnaire, the namesake restaurant of the three-Michelin-starred French Chef.
A free night here requires just 55,000 points, so with revenue rates that frequently climb over $300/night in high season, you can get solid value by using points here.
Other Options for a Splurge
Of course, Tokyo is known for numerous top-notch, luxurious points properties. While the above options provide some great value and may not require you to liquidate your entire loyalty accounts, be sure to consider the following options:
For additional suggestions, check out our article on 3 Ways to Do Tokyo on Points.
Bottom Line
Tokyo is a notoriously expensive city, and with the Olympics coming in 2020, that trend will continue — and possibly get even worse. Fortunately, there are an array of options for using your hotel points to stay on the cheap. Just be sure to compare the award rates to the paid rates on your desired dates to ensure you're getting at least TPG's value on your stays.
