Hilton Tokyo Bay — Hotel in Urayasu

First, some context: I stayed here for a conference/tournament. The breakfast buffet was included in the price. We received a group rate on our rooms. Our conference group was predominantly American.

That said, the thing that distinguishes this hotel is the staff. Mami Suzuki, the group manager, was one of the most professional and friendly people with whom I have ever worked. Whatever she makes, she deserves a raise! But the rest of the staff—in the restaurant, in the lounge, from housekeeping to the front desk—was exceptional too. There is one older guy who I watched on multiple days sweeping the main level floors and squeegeeing scuffs off the same. You need help? Staff are available in multiple locations and eagerly seek you out to help. Or, as is custom, a random stranger might offer to help.

The hotel is also well-maintained and provides a lot of services. The rooms are quirky, but clean (I had a bay-view room), with firm (but comfortable) beds, plenty of outlets, and good, though basic, amenities. The breakfast buffet was always well-stocked and provided a nice range of options (remember: you are in Japan; the options tend toward the savory). The price point across their establishments was a value considering the location (more on that later). They offer a free shuttle to Maihama Station (舞浜駅, Maihama-eki), and are a twenty or so minute walk from there if it is a busy period (again, more on that later). They are also close to the Disneyland tram. They offer multiple conference spaces, several dining options, and an on-site shipping service. The outside pool area looks like it would be wonderful during the late-spring/summer season. The indoor pool was a nice option. There are multiple elevators in multiple areas that are reasonably fast and easy to access.

What follows are not complaints, per se. They are just observations, as I rank this hotel highly. First, this hotel caters to people going to Disneyland. So, if you aren’t into Disney, this might not be your sort of place. But it does provide a lot of great people-watching. Relatedly, it is nowhere near any of the major districts in Tokyo (point in fact: it isn’t even in Tokyo; it is in Chiba). So you are going to have about an hour-long train ride to the obvious destinations or a 80-150 USD taxi ride. Second, plan accordingly if you want items from the grab-and-go store or the Lawson. At certain points, most certainly at night, there is a line out of Lawson that is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. You. Won’t. Get. In. And there will be a line for the grab-and-go, though they restock like pros! Third, if you want to smoke, get ready: as in many places in Japan, you are shoved into a room that stinks to high heaven. No smoking outdoors. So, plan to have a pair of clothes that you are ready to seal up in a bag before you depart. Fourth, as is also the case in Asia and Europe, A/C is more of a suggestion than a reality. My room’s A/C stopped at 64 degrees. And it was a fairly cool week when I visited. But I found the temp in the room to be inconsistent, and I also found the temp in the hotel itself to be about 10 degrees higher. If you are sensitive to heat and/or visit during a warmer time, you might find this problematic. Do the room’s windows open? Yup. They have this tiny section that does . . . and gives you just a hint of air coming from the bay . . . if there is wind coming from the bay! Fifth, about that shuttle. I never had an issue leaving the hotel. It departs three times an hour. But, and this is a big but, if you are trying to get back to the hotel from Miahama Station, and are doing so when Disneyland closes, you are in for a wait . . . or a walk. Just be prepared.

All in all, this was a great place. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I can’t fault a hotel for being what it is, given that I was there because we got a good group rate. So, I won’t. The view, and the staff, made this...

TL;DR Version The Hilton Tokyo Bay is a wonderful hotel with a great design, soundproofed rooms, and convenient amenities. Located near Disney, it offers decent dining, a nice fitness center, and even views of Disney fireworks from your room. The crowds can be a bit overwhelming, especially with families and younger guests, and the laundry facilities can get crowded. Overall, a great hotel for families and a solid 4/5 stay.

Full Review The Hilton Tokyo Bay is a standout among many hotels I've stayed at, offering a refined and modern experience. Its proximity to Disney—just a 7-minute walk from the Bayside monorail station—makes it a great choice for visitors heading to Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea. The hotel itself strikes a lovely balance between relaxation and convenience. The rooms are well-designed, with thoughtful touches such as bamboo and wood elements, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

I was particularly impressed by the soundproofing in the room, which ensured a restful stay despite the hotel's popularity with families. You'd be surprised by how many hotels fail to have properly soundproofed guestrooms...

There's also a fantastic water and ice dispenser down the hall, making it easy to stay refreshed. Additionally, having a flat-screen TV with HDMI ports was a nice touch, as it allowed us to plug in our devices easily.

The dining options are varied and enjoyable, with 6 choices that range from a sleek Asian restaurant to a lounge with high ceilings and a relaxed ambiance. While the hotel offers ample dining and leisure options, the seasonal outdoor pool, indoor lap pool, and fitness center were some of the highlights. As someone who often finds hotel gyms lacking, this Hilton’s gym stood out as one of the better ones I've encountered in Japan.

However, there are a few caveats worth mentioning. This hotel—and others in the area—tends to attract a lot of families and younger guests, particularly those visiting the Disney parks. Expect a bustling atmosphere with crowded pathways and common areas. The laundry room and Lawson convenience store were often full of guests, which could be a bit overwhelming, and while laundry prices were reasonable, you may find yourself needing multiple dryer cycles.

And the gym was usually occupied by older folks, so there is that as well.

That said, the overall experience at Hilton Tokyo Bay was excellent. It offers great amenities, a comfortable stay, and excellent service. If you can overlook the hustle and bustle of a hotel packed with families, it’s a solid choice for a stay near Disney. I would give it a well-deserved 4/5.

You can find me on Insta: @imdanielyoon or go to my...

This was an odd duck of a hotel and not entirely happy with the stay for a few reasons --- on a quick positive note, the concierge staff were incredibly friedly and each of those people should be praised. The executive lounge was equipped, but since it is a Disney adjacent hotel, expect it to be very busy and on the louder side. Rooms were clean and quiet, with very nice ice machines.

Now, the things that were an issue or disappointing:

1- I booked through the Hilton website, which, for the first question during booking, asks for the number of adults and kids ages. I input my kids' ages and booked my room. On arrival, the person checking me scolded me for booking my kids as kids instead of adults. Her greeting started with "You are diamond member?" --- I said yes --- "Ah. These are your kids? You should have booked them as adults. We will take care of this, but you did it incorrectly."

I had no clue what was going on. She then told me that they are adults if over the age of 6. I told her that I booked through the website and answered the questions that it asked me about my kids during booking, so what did I so wrong? She said it was an issue with the Hilton USA website, but most importantly, I was wrong, and in the future, I should not do that again.

She didn't apologize for the Hilton website doing the booking poorly, instead, just told me I was wrong. I don't know why, but this was very irritating, especially since she was so vocal about it. My wife and kids were standing next to me, and it was an embarrassment for what I would classify as a Hilton issue - not mine.

2- The shower head did not stay in place. There is a holder that slides up and down for height, which had a poor grip on the shower head. This means that every time we turned the shower on, the head would rotate and start spraying water outside the shower, soaking the entire bathroom. We had to put the shower head on the lowest height (us sitting on the ground) to prevent this from happening and caused such a mess and annoyance on each shower.

3- During the cleanup of the massive water mess created by the showerhead issue, I bashed my head into the clothes hanger hook on the bathroom door. This is not a typical octopus style hook. Instead, it is closer to a square in shape, which has hard edges. It caused a 3.2cm gash in my head, with lots and lots of bleeding.

4- To use the outdoor pool, which is very basic, costs 5000+ YEN per day, per person. That's nearly $130 for a family of 4 to swim each day. I have been to Japan 8 times and stayed at 7 different Hilton hotels in those visits. This was the first one that charged a price to use...