Contactless Payment in Japan - A Guide to Suica and Apple Pay for Foreigners

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Japan is very much a cash-based society and it drives me crazy for a number of reason. Firstly, I personally do not like carrying coins since getting rid of them is always a bit of a pain. Secondly, every time I transact using cash is a missed opportunity at earning miles - the Standard Chartered Visa Infinite Credit Card gives me 3 miles per SGD on foreign currency transactions with a S$2,000 minimum spend requirement in each statement period. With all that being said, a lot of the shops here in Tokyo at least accept the use of Pasmo and Suica cards. I have been using a Pasmo card for the last couple of years but I found out quite recently that it is possible to add a Suica card into your iPhone (or Apple Watch) so you can use it very conveniently with your preferred Apple device but more importantly, it creates a proxy to use your credit card(s) via the Suica card (which means you can potentially earn 8 miles per dollar on your next bowl of ramen!).

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Hotel Review: Hoshino Resorts KAI Nikko (Japanese-style Room with Lake View GL2) - Beautiful View of Lake Chuzenji

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Staying in a traditional Japanese inn (otherwise known as ryokan) is something that everyone should at least experience once. I have fond memories of a particular ryokan that I stayed in with my family when I was a lot younger and therefore, I decided to stay at KAI Nikko which is operated by one of the most well-known luxury ryokan brands in Japan, Hoshino Resorts. On this very same trip, I also checked out the luxurious modern ryokan which is right smack in Tokyo's Otemachi financial district - the HOSHINOYA Tokyo.

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Hotel Review: HOSHINOYA Tokyo (Kiku) - Luxurious Modern Ryokan in Tokyo City

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Even though I had already made plans to visit a number of excellent hotels during my stay in Tokyo, the HOSHINOYA Tokyo was my most anticipated property and it was awarded a spot on the much-coveted Condé Nast Traveler’s ”Gold List 2018” a few months prior to my visit. Now most travellers are familiar with the concept of a traditional Japanese ryokan where tatami mats and onsen are typically associated with. The 17-storey HOSHINOYA Tokyo combines the best of modernity with century-old traditions to create a haven right in the heart of Tokyo's Otemachi financial district.

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Hotel Review: Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills (Andaz King Room) - Impressive View of Tokyo Skyline

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The Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills is one of the most highly-rated Andaz properties amongst luxury travellers that I know - everyone that has been there has nothing but good things to say about this property. Check out my review of this Category 6 property and find out what makes this one of the best hotels that I have ever stayed in!

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First Hyatt Centric Property in Asia-Pacific Opens in Tokyo - Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo,

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Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today the opening of Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo, the first Hyatt Centric hotel in the Asia-Pacific region. Located on the fashionable Namiki-dori street in cosmopolitan Ginza, the 164-room full-service lifestyle hotel offers travelers a home base in a neighborhood where even the most avid explorers can stay entertained for days on end. Interior designer Yohei Akao has created flexible spaces and furniture configurations that adjust nimbly. True to the Hyatt Centric brand concept of putting guests at the center of their own unique travel adventure, Akao has embedded touches of Ginza throughout the public spaces and guestrooms in subtle ways that will inspire guests to venture out and explore.

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IHG and ANA to bring Hotel Indigo brand to Hakone, Japan in 2019 - Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora

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IHGA Hotels Group Japan, a joint venture between InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and ANA has just signed an agreement to bring IHG's popular boutique brand, Hotel Indigo, into Japan. This is in response to a growing segment of travellers who are constantly looking for a different travel experience. The Hotel Indigo Hakone Gora is slated to open in 2019 and it will be a place where guests and locals alike can gather and enjoy the rich culture and history of Gora, with its famous, pastel coloured hot springs surrounded by majestic, green mountains and the charms of nature that change with the seasons.

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Stay at Any Hoshino Resorts KAI Properties in Japan for JPY 19,000 - Travellers in their 20s

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It always pays to travel when you are still young and Hoshino Resorts is currently offering all young travellers between the age of 20 and 29 the chance to visit all participating KAI properties at a jaw-dropping rate of JPY 19,000 Nett (approximately S$230) per person for one night - two meals are provided on each stay. This is valid across all 14 KAI locations from 01 December 2017 to 31 March 2018.

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Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo is Asia’s First Hyatt Centric Hotel - Opening in January 2018!

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Slated to open in January 2018, Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo is set to become Asia's first Hyatt Centric hotel. The relatively new brand by Hyatt offers full-service lifestyle hotels that are strategically located and they have been created for the millennial travellers in mind. The Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo will join the current portfolio of three (Park Hyatt Tokyo, Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills, Grand Hyatt Tokyo and Hyatt Regency Tokyo) to become the fifth property to open in the city of Tokyo.

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