&And Hostel Asakusa Kappabashi

The constant flushing or running-water sound in my room made it hard to sleep. Staff kindly checked whether I could move, but the hotel was full. Without that noise, I’d probably come back. The location suits someone after an ‘old Tokyo’ feel, and it’s away from tourist crowds. It’s a 10-15 minute walk to the main Asakusa area and Sensoji Temple, and 7-10 minutes to Tawaramachi station on the Ginza line. Ginza, Shibuya, Shinjuku and Harajuku take around 35-45 minutes, so it’s quite far if you want to focus on Tokyo’s main shopping districts. My room was very clean, the staff were helpful and friendly, and the Wi-Fi worked well. The laundromats were easy to use and pretty quick, and prices were reasonable.

The front desk staff were kind, helpful, and spoke English well. They also let us leave our luggage at the desk when we arrived before check-in, as long as we told them ahead of time. We had complimentary toothbrushes, disposable cups, and earplugs. Laundry takes patience: using their washer-dryer combo, you’ll need about two hours to wash and dry clothes. Our room was tight, but the bed fit both of us, one 6'2" and one 5'2". We chose a unit with a compact Japanese-style shower and bidet toilet, and managed to fit two duffel carry-ons plus a small carry-on-sized checked bag in the suite. It was a pleasant, surprisingly quiet stay, with everyone being respectful coming and going. The one issue may have been specific to our room: the wall AC alternated between a quiet whir and a gurgling sound.

I felt right at home here. The kitchen was fully stocked, and the clean, comfortable rooms were much bigger than I expected. There was loads of room for me and a friend. The staff were super friendly and it felt really cozy. Wish we could’ve stayed longer!

The location worked well, in a quieter part of town with relatively few tourists. The Ginza and Oedo line stations are about a 10-15 minute walk, and the front desk staff were friendly and spoke good English. Aside from that, the place was fine, though it felt more like a budget hotel with a shared kitchen and laundry than a hostel. Our private room and bathroom were easily the most cramped hotel room I’ve stayed in. My wife and I had two suitcases between us, and we were constantly moving things around just to open a bag, unpack, pack, or get dressed. If you’re traveling alone without much luggage, you might be okay. I’d planned on doing laundry because this was the first stop on a long trip. Don’t count on getting your clothes dry. After two drying cycles, I thought I’d overloaded the machine, so I split the load in half. Even after two more cycles with half a load, the clothes were still damp and musty. We ended up using every spare surface in the tiny room as a makeshift drying rack.