Asakusa Kokonokurabu

The location was great and quiet, and the staff were kind and helpful. We also appreciated being able to leave our bags there on the last day. But the hotel itself was a letdown, especially for the price, which seemed to be mostly about the location. Our room was one of the larger ones, yet the furnishings were worn, the bath stayed clogged throughout our visit, and there was a strong stale smell, maybe cigarettes or the plumbing. The shared spaces looked worse than the online photos too. It was the biggest gap I’ve seen between hotel pictures and reality. All the signs reminding guests not to steal, smoke, or make noise didn’t help the atmosphere.

Of the three hotels I stayed in on my trip, this was my clear favorite. The breakfast was much better than what I had at APA and Bridge, and the price was the lowest of the three. The beds were comfy, and the staff were helpful and friendly. They even had free bicycles, which was a first for me. I’d definitely recommend it.

M. OGATA at the front desk was so kind and helpful to my wife and me. She also suggested some delicious restaurants. Thanks for taking the time to help us. The hotel itself had good bedrooms and a nice view.

We booked two nights through Booking.com for the last part of our trip, before flying home, and ended up checking out early. The hotel is small and tucked into a great neighborhood, with shops and restaurants within walking distance. They carried our bags up, and at first the room looked like the photos. Then we saw the bathroom. It felt like an airplane restroom, didn’t fit the room, and had a strong smell. Staff offered another room after we reported it. That night, someone first took us back to the original room after changing the shower curtain, but the odor was still there, just covered with perfume. The replacement room was bigger, which I appreciated, but had the same airplane-style bathroom. The smell was better at first, then came back as mildew after one night, apparently because of the ventilation or bathroom design. We tried to ignore it, but couldn’t. We asked about paying for an upgrade, but there were no rooms available, so we booked somewhere else for our last night and moved. The front desk apologized and said goodbye. It was a disappointing hassle at the end of our trip. It seems the upgraded bathrooms are only on the top floors.