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Park Hyatt Tokyo vs. Park Hyatt Kyoto - Which Should You Choose?
Tokyo’s skyline or Kyoto’s historic streets? After returning to both, here’s what we love about each - and who we think would enjoy them most
Waldorf Astoria Osaka Review: When One Night Simply Wasn’t Enough
A gorgeous room, remarkable hospitality, memorable sushi, and one surprise after another - our one-night stay left us already planning a return
Why the New IHG Premier Select Card Deserves Attention for Japan Travel
Domestic flights, four-night stays, and a path to suites and lounges - why IHG’s newest card has my attention for Japan
What Points Don’t Cover: A Realistic Japan Budget for Two
Even with flights and hotels covered by points, a Japan trip still has a real cash cost. Here’s what we’re budgeting for 13 nights - from food and trains to matcha, luggage forwarding, and a few splurges
After Our Trip in July: I Wouldn’t Tell Everyone to Avoid Japan in Summer
Japan in July forced us to travel differently - and showed us why summer isn’t always a dealbreaker
How Many Hilton Points Do You Need for a Japan Trip? Budget-Friendly vs. High-End Award Stays
One 14-night trip, three hotel styles, and the Hilton points a couple would need for each
Kimpton Shinjuku Review: A Surprisingly Good Place to Start a Tokyo Trip
Excellent food, warm hospitality, and just enough New York energy - the Kimpton Shinjuku turned out to be exactly what we needed at the start of our Japan trip
Four Luxury Hotels in Tokyo - What They Taught Me About Choosing the Right One
Kimpton Shinjuku, Park Hyatt Tokyo, EDITION Ginza, and JW Marriott Tokyo - four luxury hotels, four very different experiences, and four very different reasons to stay
How to Book Andaz Tokyo With Points in 2026
Three ways to book the same hotel. Which one actually offers the best value?
How to Book Park Hyatt Kyoto With Points in 2026
Award nights are scarce, rates have changed, and the rules are different. Here's how I'd book Park Hyatt Kyoto in 2026
The Beginner Strategy We Use for Booking Hotels in Japan With Points
How normal travelers use credit card points to save on great hotels in Japan - and occasionally splurge on once-in-a-lifetime stays
The Japan Airbnb Myth vs Reality: Are They Better Than Hotels?
Five Airbnb stays across Japan taught us that the right accommodation can either elevate a trip - or quietly complicate it
The Stay We Didn’t Plan For: When a Hotel Becomes the Destination
This is Part 4 of 5 in our 14-night Japan trip on points
In this part: A points redemption that turned into the most unexpected highlight of our trip
Flights, Hotels, and the First 48 Hours: When the Plan Meets Reality
This is Part 3 of 5 in our 14-night Japan trip on points
In this part: We explore how we booked everything perfectly - and how the first 48 hours taught us otherwise
What Are Transferable Points & Which Ones Work Best for Japan?
You don’t need to master every program to get started. A few good strategies and some flexible points can take you surprisingly far - especially in Japan
Ranked #3 Andaz Tokyo: The Legendary Sky Suite Upgrade We Never Expected
We booked a Deluxe Tokyo Tower view room. The Sky Suite waiting for us cost nearly $15,000 more per night - and it almost ruined future hotel stays
Ranked #2 - The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto: The Hotel That Changed How We See Luxury in Japan
It was our first luxury stay on points. Its genuine, consistent hospitality became the benchmark for every hotel that followed
Ranked #1 - Park Hyatt Kyoto: The 2-Michelin-Star Breakfast We Still Think About
We thought we were booking a beautiful hotel in Kyoto. We didn’t expect a breakfast that would bring us back again and again
The Top 3 Luxury Hotels in Japan - Ranked by What Matters Most
Luxury means different things to different travelers. For us, it came down to food, hospitality, and unforgettable moments
The Framework I Use to Plan Every Japan Trip With Points - Part 2: Hotels
How I decide when to use hotel points, when to pay cash, and which stays are actually worth building a Japan trip around