Bandai Silver Hotel

The foyer is elegant, and there’s plenty of premium shopping nearby. I’m someone who likes sightseeing, but I’d have been happy spending time in the hotel too. What really stood out was the service: booking sites showed rooms available, but the hotel was full when I tried to reserve. The manager, the “chief,” still found me a room, and the trainee at the counter spoke English and helped me a lot. In a country known for great service, this hotel raised the bar. The only thing keeping it from a full five stars for me was the hard bed. It felt almost like a box spring, though I still slept well. Great hotel!

A good location and a nice enough hotel, but housekeeping was a letdown. One room had broken items, and another still had belongings from a previous guest. The senior staff were very polite and apologetic. The younger staff at checkout weren’t.

The banquet food suited my taste: it had a definite, hearty flavor and was easy to eat. Breakfast was satisfying too, especially the omelets and French toast, which were a highlight. The rooms and lobby have an old-fashioned character that you don’t get in newer, spotless hotels. The rooms are dated, but I slept fine and didn’t find any major problems for an ordinary overnight stay. The Italiken in Furumachi once had a similar feel before its lovely renovation, and hotels with that kind of old, tasteful atmosphere seem rare now. We came for a banquet and stayed overnight. Given the price, I’d expected worse, but it was actually quite nice. The banquet arrangements were flexible, and the location worked well. I hadn’t expected much from the service because of my assumptions beforehand, but the front desk and restaurant staff were all well mannered, and they felt like the staff of a city hotel. The food was good, though honestly, city hotel food tends to be good wherever you go. It depends on your preferences, but this could be a good fit if it matches what you’re looking for.

The room reeked of urine, and there was no real AC. The windows don’t open, so I couldn’t get cooler air in from outside. With the walls so thin, I heard every single thing happening around me, like being forced to listen to a soap opera. When I asked to switch rooms, they said I’d have to pay an extra 150% of what I’d paid for the booking.