where to STAY in TOKYO?

FINALLY, I’ve completed this post on “WHERE TO STAY IN TOKYO?”. ♥

Here’s a recap videos of all the places I’ve stayed in Tokyo.

It was my very first time visiting Tokyo, I wasn’t too sure which is the best area to stay because it seems like there’s no “bad” area in Japan. Hence, I ended up staying in a few different hotels during my 10 days trip. In this post, I will be briefly introducing these places that I’ve stayed, and some of the pros & cons of these hotels.

So, if you’re planning to visit Japan anytime soon, I hope this helps.

ASAKUSA, is our very first stop;
& we stayed in two different hotel for a total of 5 nights.

A brief introduction for Asakusa (浅草) – it is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, famous for the ancient Sensō-ji temple and Tokyo Sky Tree. Asakusa also known as the little Kyoto, located at the older part of Tokyo, though there’s no huge malls or fancy shops in this area, this area is however retain it’s authentic local vibes, with its’ traditional Japanese temples, and beautiful rickshaws.

DAY 1 – DAY 4: WIRED HOTEL, ASAKUSA

Asakusa Kokono Club, 2-16-2 Asakusa,
Taito-ku, Tokyo, 111-0032 Japan

Tel: +81-(0)3-5830-7931

How to get here:
Take a train from Haneda Airport straight to Asakusa Station, via the Keikyu Line is straight to the Toei Asakusa Line. The whole journey takes about 45mins. & then, take a 8mins walk to the hotel.

Wired hotel is a little like the W hotel. It is not your ordinary kind of expensive 5-stars hotel, the designers feel is made apparent. The entire place is uniquely & carefully designed to maximise your pleasure & senses, without losing the luxurious touch of it. Just, try to imagine stepping into a room with Bang & Olufsen bluetooth speaker. (:

This wall at the lobby caught my attention the moment we stepped in. If you’re looking for things to do around the hotel (all within a mile of the hotel), this original guide can be extremely useful. SY & I definitely enjoyed discovering the hidden gem in Asakusa with this “1mile guide book” wall.

In order to experience Tokyo to the fullest, we initially thought of staying at different hotel every night (ambitious much, haha). So, in Wired Hotel, we stayed in two different rooms:
– ROOM 507 WIRED TERRACE TWIN (average of RM1500/night)
– ROOM 1001 WIRED PENTHOUSE BY DUXIANA (average of RM1500/night)

ROOM 507 WIRED TERRACE TWIN
One of the luxurious stay in Wired Hotel, with even a balcony with gorgeous street view.

I’ve always thought that the hotel is Tokyo is relatively compact, but Wired Hotel showed me otherwise. The room was extremely spacious; There’s two king size beds, & a lounge area with Japanese tea set in the room.

Oh, much love for these soft & huge pillows.  

The bathroom, is SPOTLESS, impeccably clean!

Comes with a in-bathroom onset bath.

Our first night in Tokyo was pretty cold, hence this heated toilet bowl really helps.

The hotel also provide us with chip traditional sleep-wear.

Ended my first night perfectly; Sipping on the yumeiju we bought from the family mart right beside, while enjoying the cold breeze at my room’s balcony with SY. ♥

ROOM 1001 WIRED PENTHOUSE BY DUXIANA

If you think the Terrace Twin was amazing, wait until you see this penthouse suite, you are gonna be blown away.
I confidently feel this is one of the best hotel I’ve stayed, even better than most of the 5 stars hotel.

The breathtaking view from the expansive floor to ceiling window in our room, Sensoji temple & the asakusa street are right in front of our eyes. We both sat at the sofa for quite some time, to enjoy this peaceful scenic view.

The highlight of the room;
Also, the most luxurious comfort you can get – sleeping on the world’s best – Dux bed.

The bathroom is not only huge, it’s a bathroom with view!

Imagine soaking in this onsen bathtub after a long day, with…

… a view like this.
Mannn, the Hanayashiki amusement park & sky tree is right in front of your eyes.

Probably the best view of Asakusa. 

If you wonder, this is how the room look like in the morning.
The huge windows let in a good amount of sunlight, perfect lighting for photos.

If you really loves this place, but you’re concern about the price. Don’t worry, as Wired Hotel also have regular rooms with double bed that’s more value for money at as low as RM400+ that fits 2 person. The room is significantly smaller but the decor is as sleek! Otherwise, they also have bunkbeds for two persons at less than RM400. And… this is not the usual budget bunkbeds, you’ll also be sleeping on a Dux bed.

Not forgetting the breakfast on the ground floor, at the ZAKBARAN café.

We had grilled salmon, rice & miso soup;
It was really delicious that SY actually repeated, “this is legit”, for at least 5 times. Haha.

We sincerely enjoyed our entire 4d3n stay in Wired hotel.

There’s not a single thing we would complain. It is a 10/10 rating for this hotel. We both loves how welcoming the staffs were, and how they were so helpful with helping us to figure out our itinerary.

Though it might not be best location to stay in term of the convenience of transportation; SY & myself didn’t mind the 8mins walk to the nearest Asakusa train station as we would passed by the vibrant & happening Nakamise market, where you will find all sorts of traditional craft shops, and street food stalls along the way. This is something we wouldn’t want to miss.

We would strongly recommend Wired Hotel to anyone who’s planning to visit Tokyo! :D

 

DAY 5 – DAY 7: GATE HOTEL Kaminarimon by Hulic, Asakusa

2 Chome-16-11 Kaminarimon,
Taitō, Tokyo 111-0034, Japan

How to get here:
Take a train from Haneda Airport straight to Asakusa Station, via the Keikyu Line is straight to the Toei Asakusa Line. The whole journey takes about 45mins. The hotel is less than 2mins walk away from the station.

The Gate Hotel also located in Asakusa, but the distance to Asakusa Station is 2x closer in compared to Wired Hotel.
Only 1 min walk to the Kaminarimon Gate, & definitely nearer to the Sensoji Temple & Skytree too! Due to high taxi fares in Tokyo, if you are travelling with elderly, or preferred less walking, this hotel will be a better choice.

The highlight about this hotel is that you will be able to gaze out at Tokyo Skytree from almost every window. Took this photo at the lobby of the hotel at 6AM, where the Tokyo Skytree soaked in the brilliantly-colored sky during the atmospheric sunrise hour. 

We stayed in the Essential Hollywood Twin Room (Style E) for two nights (with breakfast), at an average of RM650+/- per night.

Gate hotel is a stylish boutique style hotel, minimalist designed with everything you (will) need in the room.
Though the room isn’t huge, but it’s good enough to comfortably fit 2 pax with two twin beds, + a sofa bed.

And…. this is the stunning view from my room.

Because of my stay in Gate Hotel, I actually cancelled off Tokyo Skytree from my itinerary;
Just because, it is right in front of my eyes, & I thought the view is probably better here. Haha.

For breakfast, you eat besides the Tokyo Skytree too! :D

I love how Gate hotel has a buffet style organic vegetables (direct from Yamanashi) section where you get to eat some of the freshest vegetables! Besides the vegetables, you also get to choose a main dish prep with eggs. I opted for french toast with bacons which tastes really good!

Note: Remember to try the freshly squeezed orange juice.

For the price you pay, and all these that you get in return; I would say Gate Hotel is extremely value for money. I would love to come back to this hotel again on my next visit to Tokyo! If you are someone who looks for convenience in transportation, & loves dramatic scenery views, The Gate Hotel will be a good choice.

P.S. – I am honoured to be hosted by these two hotels in Asakusa, but rest assured that my review & opinions are genuine. 

 

DAY 8 – DAY 9:
– Hotel F, Kyobashi

I am not going to talk about how we get to this capsule hotel, because we ended up leaving the hotel in an hour time.

We forgotten to arrange our stay on the night before Tsukiji Market, & most of the affordable hotels around the area are fully booked; But hotel F was available at a very low price, hence we decided to give it a try, also for the sake of trying a capsule hotel.

Checked in, and realised we were the only guests, feeling a little dodge.
Got to our capsule & realise it was really dusty.

SY: “Dear, I’ve stayed at plenty of budget capsule hotels, but this is really quite bad eh.”

Within mins, we decided to check out & pay a little more for another hotel because:
– We do not feel safe being the only guest, and the receptionist will also leave at 10PM, there will be NOONE in the hotel except for us.
– The washrooms are located in separate floors (I really don’t think I dare to go pee myself lorhhh.)
– There is no place to store our luggages (4x huge ass luggages), and we’re heading out.

But.. since we already booked the place for a night.
We decided to “maximise the usage”, literally turned it into a photo spot.

Thankful that SY joined the “fun”, haha! ♥

We later on check on the hotel’s review, and realised most of the comments given are negative & it was rated 1/5 star. Lesson of the day, do not book your hotel last min & read through all the reviews before you book the place.

Okay… that aside, move on to the hotel we actually stayed for the night.

– APA HOTEL, Tsukiji

7-10-11, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku,
Tokyo, 104-0045.

Tel: 03-3549-0111

How to get here: Take the Tokyo Metro line train, to Tsukiji Station and get out from Exit 1. The hotel is 10mins walk away from the station.

APA Hotel is a budget hotel located 10mins walk away from the Tsukiji market, which also the reason why we chose this hotel. If you plan to go to the Tsukiji market for tuna auction (3am) or Sushi Dai (5am); make sure you stay around the market, as the subway only starts operating at 5am.

For the price of less than RM200/night, I have absolutely no complain. The hotel room is small as expected, but I have no complains as the bed is clean, & the toilet too is clean and practical. The hotel provides you with almost all the needed amenities (from toothbrush to body lotion).

Also, the price of RM200/per night is inclusive of 2 pax welcome drinks (wine or cocktails) and breakfast. It’s a pretty good deal after all.

DAY 10 – DAY 11 – HOTEL OKADA, Hakone

191 Yumotochaya, Hakone, Ashigarashimo District,
Kanagawa Prefecture 250-0312, Japan.

Phone: +81 460-85-6000

How to get here: Go to Shinjuku Station, take the limited express Romance Car (90 mins ride) on the Odakyu line. Then, take the shuttle bus at the Hakone-Yumoto Station will stop right in front of Hotel Okada.

Hakone is definitely the place to go if you want to stay away from the hustle bustle city & soak in the mist rising onsen! SY chose Hotel Okada as it was a love at first sight when he saw the beautiful images of the hotel’s onsen spa in their website.

Hakone Yumoto Hot Springs – The 5 fountainheads that Hotel Okada has at the base of Mt. Yusaka produce 270 liters of hot water every minute. That equates to 390,000 liters a day of hot underground natural spring water.

Image credit to Hotel Okada’s Blog.

We opted to stay in a Superior Japanese Room in Hotel Okada with 60 years of history, which cost us RM1300 +/- per night inclusive of dinner & breakfast for 2 pax.

The price is on the high-side, but we decided to stay in this hotel because:
– There’s a few outdoor hotel’s onsen amongst the lush greenery.
– We get to use the breathtaking Yunosato spa facilities next to the hotel FOC (SY wanted my first onsen experience to be a really good one)
– They also have private onsen/bath upon request.
– To fulfil our wish to stay in a Japanese traditional tatami room.
– This hotel’s room has private soaking tub (with onsen water)

We are welcomed by this stunning lush green mountain view upon stepping into our room.

Here’s some images I took in our room.

TBH, the room isn’t new, but it was spacious, & much larger than we expect!
I like how the room is really spacious, clean & comfortable.

The hotel also provides high-quality in-room amenities like branded moisturiser & facial products. 

We had our dinner in room!

We were served the Japanese Kaiseki Platters by the Nakai (maid) like how the Japanese traditionally does. We really do enjoyed being served sitting on the floor surrounded by this pretty plates. Honestly, we enjoyed this unique experience way more than the food. The quality of the food is good but can definitely be better. (:

The hotel also provides us with eatly pressed yukatas & slippers for onsen use. 

We stayed on the 8th floor, which is the same floor with the onsen.

We went straight to the Yunosato spa which is the highlight of the place.
The place is divided into separate female & male baths.

*no photo allowed* Because, no clothes allowed. It was my first time, and I was really a little shy to be publicly naked in the beginning. But after awhile, I get used to it. Well, you are naked, so is everyone else; no one really bothers.

Back to the onsen. I can only saw I was awed by the amazing setting, & it’s quite impossible to find words to adequately describe how beautiful the place is. There’s a few diff types of baths which includes steaming hot jacuzzis, ionic baths and bubbling baths that promise you a relaxing and therapeutic experience.

I was there at 9pm after my dinner, it was uncrowded. I spent one hour in the onsen, wish I stayed a little longer but onsen is really not a place you can stay in for hours. Yes, the water itself feels amazing, but it’s also boiling hot. Also, I couldn’t afford to be separated with SY for too long. #overlyattached problems, haha! ♥ ♥ ♥

If you’re not ready to brave yourself to the public onsen, you can always opt for a private onsen.
But.. you will be missing out the beautiful sceneries.

Bath, after the onsen bath; changed to a new set of yukata.
Next, it’s time to savour the goodness from the vending machines. 

That night, we slept on the floor which was surprisingly comfortable & definitely a new experience for us.  

SY & I really enjoyed our stay in Hotel Okada. If you’re planning to visit Hakone, and looking for a gorgeous onsen, Hotel Okada it is. The only cons will be it’s a little old, and pricier in compared.

DAY 11 – DAY 12 – AIRBNB, Shinjuku Go-chome

How to get here: Take a train from Shinjuku station,  to the gochome station (2x stop away). The house is 4mins away from the station. The host is very efficient, he will be dropping me messages on how to get there prior to your arrival.

It costs me about RM450+/- per night. The place is new, and neat; spacious for 2 person.

It’s value for money as this AIRBNB literally has everything you need; from washing machines, iron board, kettle, microwave, bathtub, to good bath shampoo. It’s surely better than a lot of hotels of the same price in this area. 

Overall, thumbs up for the almost immediate response from the host, Jun.
I would recommend this place for those who wants to stay around Shinjuku comfortably with a good price.

So.. I have total stayed in 6 hotels throughout my 12 days trip. I’m glad that I did because each of them gave me a new experience of Tokyo. Of course, big thanks to SY who has been helping me to carry my luggages all around, also for being my best travel buddy! ♥

That’s all for now, I hope this post can really help those of you who’s planning to visit Tokyo!

Stay tune, on my next post:
– TOKYO, to do(s).

Cheers.

// All the photos is this post is taken using #OlympusMY OMD EM1-M2.♥