Hostel Wahaku Kura

The room and hotel were clean, and the bed was comfortable enough. They provided the essentials, and there’s a restaurant. The nearer of the two Korumea stations is only a few minutes away; the other, with a direct route to Narita, takes about 8-10 minutes to walk to. We used the nearer one often since it goes around Tokyo in a circle. Asakusa is about ten minutes away, and walking there was easier for us than taking the train. The main drawback was the size. The bunk-bed room was cramped, and my daughter and I barely fit our three suitcases. The bathroom, with a bidet and shower, was also very small and hard to move around in. If you’re tall, I wouldn’t recommend it. There was just one pillow in the room. I asked for another and was told they were out, but when I tried again a day later, I got one.

We were lucky to get a room looking toward the Tokyo Skytree, which was beautiful at night. The hotel is clean and quiet, with hidden gem coffee shops and craft boutiques around it. Staff were incredibly helpful about storing our luggage, and the price felt like excellent value. Kuramae Station, served by the Oedo and Asakusa lines, is only a few minutes away, so getting to either Haneda or Narita is easy.

The coffee at breakfast was really good, but I had several problems during my stay. The Wi-Fi didn’t work, which is totally unacceptable. The woman at the counter gave me a pocket Wi-Fi without explaining why, only reminding me to return it on time. It seemed like this was a common problem at the hotel. I couldn’t adjust the room temperature, and the hot spring wasn’t relaxing because of its lighting. I also tried calling reception and nobody answered. Service was average, and the front desk needs to improve. There weren’t enough pillows either. I needed an extra for my four-night stay, but the front desk simply said they were out of stock and offered no help. The attitude felt a bit rude and unhelpful, unlike at other Japanese hotels. I really hope they fix these issues.

The staff were friendly and the service was great, but the restaurant policy left me feeling discriminated against. At breakfast on two occasions, my family and I were first told to find a table, then asked to move because we didn’t have a voucher. We ended up separated at another table. We’d been staying at the hotel for a week, and there weren’t many people being served, so I was upset, though I let it go for my family. I thought perhaps it was the host or server, and went back for lunch. There was only one other person there, but my wife and I were again told to move. I left and went to Dennys. Why should hotel guests be punished for not having a voucher? I told an associate in the lobby what happened and who knows whether anything will be done. The hotel needs to change this restaurant policy. It’s a shame that an unwise policy overshadows the staff’s efforts.