The Hoshino Resort KAI Ito in Shizuoka Prefecture is slated to reopen in December 2018 after completing a complete renovation of its large public hot spring, lobby, and guest rooms. All 30 guest rooms in this beautiful property will come in four varieties and they will be relaunched as locally-themed rooms known as “Ito Hanagoyomi no Ma” (Ito Floral Calendar Rooms), KAI Signature Room.
Read MoreJapan's very first Hyatt beach resort property has just opened on the private Seragaki Island of Okinawa. The Hyatt Regency Seragaki Island Okinawa is connected via a bridge to the main island of Okinawa and it offers a stunning view of the East China Sea from all 344 guest rooms. Blending local culture, warm hospitality and thoughtful service, the Hyatt Regency Seragaki Island Okinawa enables guests to feel refreshed and reconnected to who and what matters to them most.
Read MoreHoshino Resorts will be unveiling a brand new KAI property in the Hakone district on 27 July 2018 and this will become the 15th property under the greater brand umbrella. The KAI Sengokuhara will become the second KAI brand in Hakone (the current KAI Hakone is situated along the Sukumo River), and it will feature private hot spring baths in each of its 16 guest rooms.
Read MoreWhen I traveled from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo back in May, I spent a week at the Hyatt Regency Tokyo (which I really liked!) before moving over to the Hilton Tokyo which is located just across the road. Check out my review of the huge King Tower Suite Executive at the Hilton Tokyo where you will also get to enjoy evening cocktails and a great Japanese breakfast!
Read MoreI have stayed in multiple properties in Tokyo but the Shinjuku area is probably my favourite - the Hilton Tokyo is nice but I have spent over a week there previously so I decided that it was time to try out a different property this time. The Hyatt Regency Tokyo ticked all the right boxes from start to finish and it is now my favourite property in Shinjuku - check out my review of the Regency Club Room here!
Read MoreWhen I visited the Conrad Tokyo back in 2016, I was completely won over by not only the design of the hotel but the quality of food as well. My lunch at the property's award-winning Japanese restaurant, Kazahana, remains to be one of the most memorable dining experiences that I have had in Tokyo. As such, when I revisited Tokyo back in February 2018, I decided to spend a couple of nights here and since I have stayed in an Executive Room with Bay View previously, I opted for the Executive Suite Bay View this time instead.
Read MoreIf you are planning to travel to Japan, South Korea or Guam over the next couple of months before the end of 31 August 2018, Hilton Honors is currently a running a 25% off sale and it comes with a US$50 nightly credit at all participating properties so it is actually not a bad time to start booking for those stays - all reservations have to be made before the end of 31 May 2018.
Read MoreJapan 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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