Thanks to numerous business trips to Japan over the last 5 years I have gotten a good sampling of hotels in the country. When my girlfriend and I decided to celebrate my 50th birthday in Tokyo, we naturally picked the Sakura Tower as it is the only one (including several in the Prince chain) that I can't say anything negative about. I always get a south facing king size western style room on the 10th, 12th or 14th floor and can't review any of the other room styles. These rooms are really big by Japanese standards and the bed could comfortably sleep a family of 5. Furniture is high quality matching solid maple. Bathroom has both a large tub and frameless glass enclosed shower. Toilet is the popular Toto with the usual array of electronic buttons on the seat. Everything is impeccably clean.

We find the location very convenient as the Shinagawa station across the street has Narita Express to the airport, Shinkansen to Nagoya / Kyoto and Yamanote line to the rest of Tokyo. Getting to the nightlife in Rapongi requires either a train change at Ebisu or a $15 cab ride.

The staff is very helpful. If there is no taxi outside the front door, the doorman will sprint down the drive to fetch one from the train station. My girlfriend was new to Japanese money and accidently got shortchanged when buying Yen at the front desk. They caught the error in their nightly audit and immediately sent a bellgirl up to our room with a note of apology and a request to come back to collect the rest of her money. If your Japanese is no better than mine, the the front desk is happy to phone for dinner reservations on your behalf or write street addresses in Kanji for the taxi drivers.