和ノ楓

They let me leave my luggage for a few hours after checkout since my flight wasn’t until the evening, which I appreciated. I was in the room beside reception and had worried it might be noisy after reading other reviews, but it was quiet. The room and bathroom were clean, the shower warmed up in seconds and had good pressure. There are good restaurants within walking distance, and a 7-eleven right around the corner. Keep in mind it’s an affordable boutique hotel, so you get what you pay for.

The location is good and the beds are soft, but neither helped when we couldn’t sleep because of constant noise from the front door and desk. We had mentioned several times in our reservation that we were bringing our one-year-old, and they put us in the loudest spot, right by the entrance.

Golden Gai and the konbinis being so close was the only upside for me. I chose this hotel for its traditional look and convenient location, but that convenience wasn’t worth the stay. The room had stains on the walls and windows, the small bathroom door kept jamming, and there was a huge crack in the floor covered with tape. When I opened the stained paper window, I found a ton of MOLD behind it. I stayed just one night and got very sick afterward. Now that I’m home, I blame the room for it. The walls were so thin I could hear everything outside and in the other rooms. The hallways were narrow, and the stairway felt scary to use. I can’t even be mad at the other guests, since the walls let every sound through. I’d have preferred walking 10-30 minutes each day over staying here again. I wouldn’t recommend anyone book this hotel.

Wa no Kaede was in a really convenient spot. We had a first-floor room, which worked out well since there’s no elevator. The bathroom was the least clean one I had on my Japan trip, and that was my only complaint. I’d read plenty of noise complaints and was nervous, but over four nights I didn’t have any noise issues. The staff were very nice when I spoke with them, and they held our bags so we could explore Tokyo once more before our 4:00 pm flight.