Hotel Rilassare Tokyo

It was a lovely surprise. The place worked well for getting between Odaiba and Shinjuku, even though it's not in a tourist area with attractions or much to do. Transport links are good, and the room was spacious enough and practical without looking cheap. The price felt very fair and adorable!

For about $89 with breakfast, Hotel Rilasare Tokyo is a great option if you want a modern, high-quality stay and easy airport access. It's a four-minute walk from Hamamatsucho Station, two stops from Tokyo Stn, and the Tokyo Monorail gets you to Haneda in about 20 minutes. The hotel's Seto Inland Sea theme draws inspiration from Shodoshima Island. Opened in July 2022, it has stylish, calming interiors. The Compact Single Room includes a 120 cm premium Simmons bed and a practical workspace. A welcome green mandarin juice and elegant wasanbon (Japanese sugar) sweets were waiting in the room, a lovely start. Breakfast at nearby Yuhigaoka Shokudo was a highlight, with fresh Setouchi produce in a beautiful open setting. It's a quiet urban retreat while still connected to Tokyo's main hubs. A few handy tips: the nearby monorail is a relaxed 20-minute route to Haneda. There's also a sake tasting shop nearby with over 150 kinds of pure rice sake from around Japan. Tokyo Tower and Zojoji Temple are about a 20-minute walk away, where you can see a mix of modern and traditional Tokyo. In the lobby, the amenity bar has skincare items, including options for men. Search SUKIYAKI TRAVEL JAPAN on YouTube to see the Shodoshima-themed breakfast and sake tasting in 4K before you book.

There’s a conbini and grocery store across the street, with breakfast down the street. Hamamatsucho Station is easy to reach after a direct monorail ride from Haneda Airport. Daimon station gives you access to major subway lines across Tokyo. The rooms are spacious for Tokyo stations.

I hope this was just an unfortunate one-off, and that my review helps other guests avoid the confusion I had. I've stayed in many hotels in Japan, and it's very rare for staff to explain none of the hotel's services. Since they told me nothing, I assumed there weren't any extras because Tokyo is expensive. I still wonder if the staff simply didn't want to say much. I can speak Japanese well enough to understand basic hotel information, though I'm not perfect, so I'm unsure if they skipped the explanation because I'm a foreigner. A few words would have saved me a lot of trouble. What upset me most was check-in. The staff member explained nothing about the services, so I didn't know free amenities were available. There was no toothbrush in my room, and I assumed the hotel didn't provide one. I was about to go out and buy one, despite there not being many convenience stores nearby. I was tired, so before leaving I checked my reservation email and the Jalan page again. That's when I found out the hotel did have toothbrushes, and went down to the first floor to get one. I also didn't know about the first-floor drink bar. Maybe it was because I checked in late, with a small, dim lobby, and the staff hadn't explained what was available. At checkout, I happened to glance to the side and saw what looked like a lounge, where a woman who seemed to be Japanese sat comfortably drinking coffee. I thought it was a café next to the hotel and assumed I'd be able to buy coffee there later. Once outside, I realized it was actually the hotel lounge and the drinks appeared to be free. I'd already checked out and left, so I felt embarrassed to go back. I had to look for a café in the cold winter, and my time was limited because I needed to attend a conference. If I'd known hotel coffee was available, that would've been perfect. The room was quite small, though that's understandable in such a busy area, and Tokyo Tower is nearby. The sink water started a little cold and took a while to warm up. Around 6 a.m. I heard noise several times, perhaps because my room was near a staff room and people were moving things.