Hotel Keihan Asakusa

Hotels in Tokyo are generally small, for obvious reasons, and the ones that are bigger with more amenities, definitely come with a premium. The hotel is no different. We’ve stayed in several hotels in Asakusa for the last 10 years, and we’ve never had complaints. Our favourite was the Hokke Club, which has unfortunately closed down. The room: well, it’s small especially if there are two of you and you’re travelling with big luggages. There’s a strange smell when you enter the room and it lingers. The upside was we had a room facing the Main Street, and not some wall of the next building Location: yes, it’s next to Asakusa Station, but mind you, there are 2 different “Asakusa” stations, servicing different train lines. Research carefully of where you’ll be going most often, before deciding if the station is a deal breaker for you. Sure, it’s a stone’s throw away from the “shoutengai” (traditional shopping streets), but so are many other hotels. In fact, the Asakusa View Hotel is just across the road, an unusual hotel because most hotels in the area are about 6-8 stories, but the Asakusa View is about twice of that. It’s typically old and tired… again, with a musty smell. The lobby is on the second floor after you pass 2 red red sliding doors at the ground floor Service: to be fair, the lobby staff are great. Extremely helpful, with one or two who can speak English well. But most staff in Tokyo are able to throw in a smattering of English, which helps tremendously if you’re unfamiliar with the language. Check in is also automated, as with most big hotel chains now. And thankfully, it’s key card access rather than a key with a massive tag. Breakfast: Yes, it’s free, and they make it known that “it’s free, so be grateful for the offering”. I was shocked to see that disposables are used. Not only is it a contradiction to the hotel’s “green” messages around the room and Japan’s strive to meet the SDGs, it also makes the hotel look absolutely cheap. It goes against the Japanese pride in hospitality, which makes me wonder about the ownership of the chain. The range of food, is painfully pathetic, probably no more than 10 types, excluding staples like miso soup, rice, bread. The dining room is crammed elbow to elbow. I’m used to weak coffee in Japan, but the latte on offer was white coloured water with a spit of coffee, tasting like nothing I’ve ever tasted… in a nasty way. My advice to the hotel is: if this is what you’re doing to save money yet decide that you need to offer breakfast because the hotels in the area are, but you can’t afford it, then DON’T. It just makes the hotel look not only cheap but badly managed. Laundry room: I love the convenience of having a laundry room where you can do your own laundry. Most places will remove your laundry if it’s done and you didn’t remove it. Not this place. The washing machines have a code on them: the good thing is your laundry won’t be stolen, the downside is some will start their laundry and leave them in there the whole day and collect them only at the end of the day. Management really needs to change this operation. I guess it says a lot when the taxi driver have no idea where the hotel is, and you know what they say about taxi drivers being the best guides. Would I come back again? Never

Booked two rooms here for six nights (Oct12-18,23). Hotel is a 10 min walk from Tawaramachi station. Senso-ji temple is a 5 min walk. Stores, restos are close by, including 7-11, Don Quixote, Mr Donut, Dennys, plenty of ramen and sushi restos. Rooms are on the smaller side, so needed to be inventive to store our luggage. Breakfast is adequate, can take to our room as seating is limited. Overall, we had a pleasant stay and will recommend this hotel.