Seeing Japan and working with Kimkim for the first time.
Japan
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Nov 7 - Nov 21, 2024
My husband and I used Kimkim for the first time to help us plan a trip to Japan. Eleanor was responsive to all our requests and communications during the planning phases of our trip. Her thoroughness and attention to details made us feel Kimkim would be able to help us if problems arose. The locations of hotels she recommended were ideal in accessing the public transportation and sites we wanted to visit. The logistics of transporting us from airports and train stations to hotels were excellent. The drivers made contact with us the day before, sent photos of the cars and license plates and were always waiting for us when we arrived. We had arranged several private guides in Kyoto and Tokyo. The guides also texted us the day before our tour and confirmed details. The guides and drivers collaborated smoothly and allowed us to be flexible if we wanted to modify our tour. In Tokyo, For the 'night life' tour in Tokyo, our guide Ryoji maneuvered us through crowds and narrow alleys to experience up close the vitality of the entertainment district. We had requested a special tour of Ginza district architecture and during the planning stage, the agency contacted us directly to learn more about what we were interested in. We were delighted by Haruka's tour - it was exactly what we had hoped for. She brought illustrations of earthquake-resilience construction that enhanced our understanding of what we were seeing. In Kyoto, it was awkward because the guide had been told our tour would last all day, but we had clarified that we did not want a tour longer than 3 -4 hours. We learned that it was best to sit down together before starting a tour and talk about what was planned, then explain to the guide what our preferences were and our target time to end.
Hotel Reviews
We were at Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier for only 1 night to rest after the international flight and prepare for a domestic flight the next morning. I wish we could have stayed several more days. The amenities were lovely, the breakfast was elegant, and overall it was very comfortable. The staff went out of their way to assist us.
Royal Park Hotel was my favorite of the entire trip. The room design, with movable screens made maximum use of space. The beds were comfortable, linens and guest pajamas were wonderful. The breakfasts were elegant and served with care. The extra feature of afternoon lounge hours were a perfect break in the day. The space was relaxing and simple for planning our evenings out. The amenities were high quality.
The bed was too soft and I was not able to sleep on it. Fortunately there was a couch so I asked for extra blankets and made it work. There were lots of options at the buffet breakfast but the quality and variety was disappointing.
