The Marvelous Misadventures of Miss Rebecca: Shameless plug: Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku

I lucked into the most awesome hotel in Tokyo. The price was reasonable, the building was lovely, and the room was modest but well-appointed. When faced with the challenge of navigating a foreign, sprawling, crowded (but always polite!) city, every small convenience is a blessing. The Sunroute offered free computers with internet access and hot cocoa (and coffee and tea) in the guest lounge, a currency exchange machine in the lobby that matched the bank's rate and allowed you to change as little as $1 with no transaction fee, helpful English-speaking staff at the front desk, and to-your-door service from the airport limousine.

The location was ideal. The area is dominated by office buildings, hotels, and the nearby Shinjuku station. It's the busiest train station in the world with over 3 million people passing through per day and 65 (!!!) exits. Thankfully, everything is well-marked, and having so many train and metro lines within a 5 minute walk of the hotel is invaluable. Several department stores are attached to the station, and there are shops and restaurants to satisfy any need. The post office across the street from the hotel is one of the few places in town with an ATM that accepts foreign cards. Handy!

Shibuya has excitement, Asakusa the feel of 'old Japan', but for sheer convenience and ease as a tourist, I don't know that you could do better than the Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku.

Hotel lobby