Tokyo, Nikko Narita

Our stay at the Nikko Narita in Tokyo was just a stop-over on the way from Sydney to London, and that's all it should ever be. There's nothing worth seeing nearby, and unless you travel well you need a fair amount of energy just to brave the non-English speaking environs of the bar and restaurant.

The staff were friendly enough, and considering they spoke more languages than I did, they made me feel very welcome. The food at the restaurant was edible, but not worthy of the tourist prices they extorted from us. But when JAL puts it's customers up in the middle of nowhere, there's little choice. You have to eat - you know it and they know it. There is a little noodle bar across the road, which I would probably try if I passed that way again.

The room was large and comfortable, with the Asian sports and movie channels always providing amusement.

As this is a JAL stop-over hotel, checkout was a nightmare. Combine the normal hotel queues with the airport queues and you get chaos. Get up nice and early! But at least you can get your boarding pass at the hotel.