Toyoko Inn Shinagawa Trains
Toyoko Inn Japan
Toyoko Inn is a big economy business hotel chain in Japan, known for it's simplicity, uniformity, and no-frills low-cost experience. Toyoko Inn is not the place to stay for a lengthy vacation if you are hoping for something very "Japanese" but it is the perfect place to stay if you are just on a quick business trip or if you are looking to spend as little money as possible. Toyoko Inn has its place, but it also has its place where it doesn't belong.
Toyoko Inn and business
Toyoko Inn is the perfect hotel for business in any major city in Japan. Not only is it cheap, with all of the basic amenities, but they offer what I consider to be a pretty innovative room design, the business twin room. Instead of having to get either two separate rooms or two side by side beds, Toyoko Inn offers a room that has two beds, but with a divide for the sink and bathroom in between so that you are still splitting the cost for a room and saving money, but with more privacy than the traditional western two-bed room. Toyoko Inn also prides itself on its placement relative to local transportation and other "hubs" of civilization. Within one major city, for example, you could have your choice of a Toyoko Inn near the transportation you are using (such as near your train station or the airport) or you could choose a Toyoko Inn that is near to the major business centers where your meetings will be. Either way, you win.
Toyoko Inn and holidays
When it comes to Toyoko Inn for holidays, however, the jury is still out. While there is the advantage of a truly cheap vacation, and again the Toyoko Inn is near to much of what you might be going to sightsee, there are some disadvantages that the Toyoko Inn holds for the eager tourist. For example, many westerners travel to South East Asia for what they conceive of as "the Asian experience." Toyoko Inn does not offer this, but a cheap, simple accomodation, fairly western in style and set-up. There is little authentic or traditional Japanese about Toyoko Inn. Also, the space is quite small, which is no matter for a business trip, but many westerners are accustomed to getting more space, more amenities, more stuff on holiday than at home, and this cramped space may not suit many westerners idea of the ideal Japanese vacation.
Toyoko Inn and the rest of us
So is Toyoko Inn for you? Only you can know the answer for that. And perhaps one trip you will try Toyoko Inn and another you will try a more traditional ryokan. Some think that the Toyoko Inn franchise is still reeling from a series of safety code violations five years ago, and some may swear never to go to a hotel that was ever involved in that kind of a scandal (on the chance that some Toyoko Inn may still not be safe). Whatever you decide, have a happy Japan holiday!
