Radisson Hotel Narita Airport
As my job takes me to Japan a few times a month, this hotel has become a second home to me.
Although it has "Airport" in its name, this Radisson http://www.radisson.com/tokyojp_narita is actually about 20 to 30 minutes away from Tokyo International Airport(which is in Narita). It is located in an area called Tomisato and is surrounded mostly by houses and farms.
There is nothing really fancy about this hotel, but it tries with what it has. Overshadowing the hotel is the staff. Very friendly and very accomodating-they will go the extra mile for you if need be. The mostly European management doesn't seem at all friendly and mostly I see them doing absolutely nothing. Course I know their jobs are behind the scenes, but they could smile every once in a while.
This hotel is considered something of a resort by the locals. Often during holiday periods, many Japanese families stay there to enjoy the facilities. There is a nice outdoor pool, and a heated indoor pool for winter. There is also a tennis court and basketball court.
The main part of the hotel is the tower where the majority of hotel rooms are located. They are all good sized rooms with a refrigerator. Lately I have also seen DVD players in many rooms too. The tower rooms are pretty quiet and you can get a good night's sleep there.
The other part of the hotel is the annex, often referred to as"the Dungeon". But don't let the name scare you, many people prefer the annex. It's a bit older, but you get a bigger room and instead of curtains, nice wooden boards are installed. Even at midday, close these boards and turn out the lights, it's pitch black. Perfect to take that readjustment nap before boarding the plane home.
There is a nice restaurant as well. On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, a different themed buffet dinner is served. My personal favorite is the Chinese buffet on Friday. If you just want to order something to take up to your room, gyoza(pot stickers) is a good choice. It's delicious, about 600 yen, and you also get some fried veggies along with it.
Next to the lobby is a Sports bar, which tries to show popular sporting events, but don't expect baseball, football, or basketball. They show more soccer than anything else. Karaoke is also offered and beer and appetizers are pretty normal stuff.
As you might imagine, not much is going on outside the hotel. There are some restaurants across the street, which are average. If you are going to try them, I would suggest going to Yamato. They have an English menu and the husband wife team tries, but their English is extremely limited. They may seem gruff but are actually pretty nice. Sometimes it takes them a while to get your order, so be patient. It's a take off shoes type of place, so make sure you have your nice socks on. The garlic pork and tonkatsu are quite good.
There are two convenience stores within walking distance as well. A Lawson's and Mini Stop. The food at Japanese convenience stores are very good so don't be afraid to try some. The soft serve ice cream at the Mini Stop is excellent right now. In the summer, it's known for it's shaved ice treat. Try some!
Better options are available if you are willing to take the hotel bus over to Narita city. 4 runs are scheduled daily so there should be one that will fit your schedule. Once at Narita city, there are more restaurants, more shopping, and more sightseeing than you could ever do around the Radisson. Here you can go to Narita Temple, a very ancient and very famous temple in Japan. From there, my suggestion would be to walk around and explore. I can't remember the name, but there is a restaurant that serves some excellent chili pepper ramen. Fresh unagi(eel) is excellent here as well. The eels are live and they'll catch it, clean it, and grill it for you right then and there. Delicious!
So while this hotel is in the middle of farmland, there are things to do if you are willing to do a little bit of work. The hotel itself is OK, nothing fancy, but not bad. The greatest thing though, is the staff there. Extremely friendly and helpful, simply the best! Highly recommended, mostly for that reason.
