Hotel KITCHO - Tokyo, Japan 

I agree with previous reviews that Hotel Kitcho is an excellent value; I did a lot of research before we booked and I think budget travelers will be hard-pressed to find a better deal. We paid about $120 per night US for a very spacious Japanese room and we enjoyed the experience very much -- glad we didn't stay in some big chain hotel. Metro access was very convenient and we were able to get anywhere we wanted with no more than one station transfer. The front desk staff was very friendly and they accommodated us with a late 1 pm checkout on our last day. The room was very clean. My only reservations about giving Hotel Kitcho an "excellent" review is that the 3rd floor lobby -- where Japanese rooms are located -- was absolutely disgusting when we were there. The carpet was badly stained and in need of replacement ... in particular there was one huge reddish-brown stain right outside our door that we jokingly referred to as "where they dumped the body." There was no AC in the lobby and it created a very unpleasant and muggy odor when we were there in July -- coupled with the stains I really hated walking to our room. Also, the room itself is definitely starting to look a little worn and shabby -- bubbling wallpaper and big dents in the particle board doors, tears on our Japanese-style futons, etc. (Unlike the lobby, the room was very clean, though.) I honestly don't say this to put people off, and if we had to do it over I would still book the Hotel Kitcho, It's a budget property and you can't expect the Ritz. Still, I hope the management realizes that the property is in need of some simple maintenance to maintain its reputation as a good value hotel.