The default recommendation for a hotel in Shinjuku is Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku, which is relatively new, a great location only a short walk from the station, although the rooms can be a little small (standard for Tokyo).
If you want to stay in Shinjuku and are happy with cheaper/less quality then Shinjuku New City is often a reasonable option. It is older, further from the station (has a useful free shuttle bus). Upper floor Park view rooms have a nice view of Tokyo Metro Government Buildings.
If you don't wish to stay in Shinjuku or Shinjuku is too expensive then Ueno makes a reasonable base and there are numerous hotels near Ueno Station. Asakusa is another cheaper area of Tokyo. For more detail on various areas read the link above.
If you want suggestions in the main thread then please quote budget range and if you know them then please quote exact dates.
Accommodation Types
One thing to note is that usually Japanese quote pricing per PERSON, not per ROOM.
Hostels
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These are either dorm style or some offer private rooms for couples/families. In general they are the cheapest, book through hostelworld or directly. Cost varies but expect roughly 3500yen per person per night. If you are a couple you will often find some of the cheaper business hotels are actually less than what you pay at a hostel, so don't always assume that the hostel is a cheap option. This is especially true outside Tokyo. I've stayed for <6000yen for two people in Business hotels in Hiroshima, Nagoya, Osaka. All were perfectly fine, clean and in good locations near train stations. If you are single and like the social aspects then a hostel can be a good way to travel.
Business Hotels
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These are usually small rooms with a cubicle style bathroom (like on a boat). Most have internet connections (usually wired). For foreigners just bear in mind that some may not have many/any English speaking staff, and they are usually located a bit further away from train stations than the higher priced hotels. Tokoyo-inn is a chain that have a huge number of hotels across the country with an english booking website. Other names like Chisun Inn, or Tokyu, will have hotels across some cities.
Note that most business hotels have semi-double beds, so the rooms can be used as a single or for a couple. These are usually only 120cm wide, half way between a single and a double bed size. This can be quite narrow for westerners used to a double or queen size bed. They are close to an Aussie King Single size.
Hotels
These are your normal western style hotel chains. Usually prices are high and rooms may be smaller than you are used to, especially in places like Tokyo.
Ryokan
Traditional Japanese inns, usually including a sizable set course dinner. Often pricing is high (15,000+ yen per person), but this can include dinner and breakfast.
Minshuku
Like a cheaper version of a Ryokan, usually without dinner included. Often Japanese style with a shared bathroom.
Shukubo/Temple Lodging
The most common place to experience this is at Mt Koya (Koyasan) near Osaka/Kyoto:-
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4905.html
When researching what accommodation to stay at I usually use a combination of Jalan, Rakuten, Agoda, Expedia, Japanican, Japaneseguesthouses.
When visiting Japan if you have the budget I usually recommend an overnight stay in a ryokan. For most people one or two nights is enough to get that authentic Japanese experience. Most good ryokan include dinner and breakfast and you will sleep on futon on a tatami mat floor. Some higher end ryokan will have onsen/baths attached to the room. Others will have a private onsen that you can book for usually a small period of time (45-60 minutes) so you can enjoy the onsen as a couple/family. Good cities to enjoy a ryokan are Hakone, Kawaguchiko, Miyajima, Kyoto, Takayama, Kanazawa although of course there are many others around the country.
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