Ocica Oshiage Tokyo by Rhotel

I picked the blue room, which seemed a bit bigger than some of the other choices, and luckily ended up on a floor with a women’s bathroom. It was all very convenient. The metro connection was good, and honestly I prefer it to the JR. The closest exit, B1, has escalators, so there’s no need to haul big suitcases up flights of stairs. This was just right for me: I’m past the hostel stage, but didn’t want to spend over $250 AUD on a tiny business hotel room. Staff were super helpful and clear, even with my terrible Japanese. The amenities were great. I might buy a ReFa hair dryer after trying one here.

The first morning, I woke up to the Skytree outside my window, which was a nice surprise. I’d arrived late and jet-lagged, and had messaged ahead to let them know. Someone was waiting for me at the front desk. The underground from Haneda was easy to take, though finding the subway exit was a little tricky. Once up at street level, it’s a quick walk. I’ve been happy here for my first three nights in Tokyo. The room is clean and big enough. I got a full bed room, and it reminds me of my half-dorm back in college.

The room works perfectly for one person. It’s clean, colorful, easy to access, and has the basic self-care and beauty items you’d need. You share the toilet and shower, but it’s no farther to walk than in a bigger hotel. Best of all, the neighborhood is really relaxed and feels like authentic Japan, outside Tokyo’s busy areas. That’s a real plus for me.

We stayed eight nights. On arrival, we were told our booked room couldn’t be used because its air conditioner was broken, so the hotel moved us to another room. The corner room we got felt noticeably smaller than the others. Since room color is one of the hotel’s main features, room changes should be handled with more care. We hadn’t been told in advance through the app, and weren’t offered a cancellation or a discount. When I contacted customer support afterward, they just said I’d “agreed at check-in.” It felt dismissive and disrespectful.