Vince L.
Yelp
At the top of the features list is the location. If you are looking to be in the thick of the crowd, this is probably it. It is just two blocks away from the most high-end stores in Tokyo's Ginza district. Yet, the hotel is just far enough from the primary street and is somehow shielded from the noise and the actual foot traffic of all the tourist and locals. Restaurants are so plentiful that you can actually stay here for several weeks and visit a different restaurant for every meal without repetition. There's even a McDonald's and a Starbucks a few blocks away.
It's somewhat of a boutique hotel but is subtle in style and almost sterile looking. The more striking thing about all the decor is the artsy wall behind the front desk. There is no concierge but the front desk staff is extremely helpful. It seems perfectly suited for business and holiday travelers alike.
The common areas and room are clean the way you expect from a Japanese establishment. The room is small by American standards but big for the location. One weird thing was the arrangement of the bathroom, where the toilet and bathtub/shower were in two compartments while the sink was outside and part of the bedroom. There were some heavy curtains you can draw to create a separation from the bedroom though. I found it to be somewhat awkward. The shower was something you have to get used to. Once you close the door, the whole open area outside of the tub is where you shower; the walk-in area is essentially the shower enclosure.
The walls surrounding the bath and toilet were frosted glass, so there's not much in the way of insulating. Also, you'd better be comfortable with whoever you are sharing the room with, because you can definitely see silhouettes. A motion detector was one of the features of the washlet, so that the seat would automatically lift up whenever you opened the door to the toilet.
Included in the daily housekeeping is a set of pajamas on every bed that is changed daily, so that was something I'd never seen before during all my previous trips to Tokyo. The beds were comfortable and the comforter was just the perfect weight. The in-room safe was handy in terms of storing my stuff
A cash exchange machine was in the in lobby for convenience, although I found an exchange store around the corner that offered really good rates. Plus, a subway station was right outside the entrance to the hotel. If you're familiar with Tokyo, you know that there are several independent lines when it comes to public transit. For most of my destinations during my stay, I found it better to just walk a few blocks to Tokyo Station to begin my journey. However, the line right outside the hotel takes you to both airports, so you can't beat that in terms of accessibility.
Despite the strange bathroom, all the other features make up for it. It really is a great place to stay.