&And Hostel Akihabara

Getting around is easy from here: the station connects to the Yamanote Loop and the Sobu line, and the Asakusa line is very close too. For a solo traveler on a budget, this is a good-value hostel. Just know that the main floors have capsule-style shared dorms, so you’ll be close to your neighbors, and there’s very little luggage storage.

I slept poorly during my four nights and wouldn’t stay that long again. It may be fine for one or two nights, but between the heat in the capsules, noise at all hours, and someone coughing through two awful nights, I didn’t get enough rest. People ignore quiet time when there’s no separate luggage area, so zippers are loud in the dorm. A 25-bed room also isn’t a good fit for someone who can’t keep quiet. The capsules were much too hot even though it was December. It felt like the AC units were producing the heat, though I don’t know why. You can borrow a dusty desk fan, but it’s noisy. The bathroom area smelled moldy. There’s space for suitcases, but only miniature lockers for a wallet, nothing bigger. Some things were good: the beds were comfortable, the toilets and showers were nice and separate from the dorm, the location was great, and the staff were helpful. They let me store luggage a week before check-in for a reasonable fee.

The reception girl was really warm and helpful, always willing to assist. But the hostel felt crowded and wasn’t very clean by Japanese standards. People were wearing shoes inside, too. The worst part was the heat in the capsule, even with the curtain open. They should look at adding air conditioning or improving ventilation.

Their non-refundable policy is awful. I picked the wrong room type and canceled right away, but they still took my money, even after confirming the cancellation. In the end, they realized there’d been a communication mistake and the refund was approved.