Tsuruya Ryokan

I stayed for a business trip, and it’s unusual these days to find an inn right in front of Sumida Ward Office for around 10,000 yen with breakfast included. The room had two 4.5 tatami mat Japanese-style rooms, with the living area separate from the bedroom, and the bathroom and toilet were separate too. Everyone working there was kind. Breakfast came with delicious white rice and a variety of warm, comforting dishes. Over both days, I ate everything, even the rice in the rice cooker. There’s something really nice about this inn.

I won’t stay at this hotel again. The WiFi drops out in under a minute, there’s mold in the bathroom, and the air conditioning barely works. Some tatami mats are peeling, and the room is six tatami mats in size. The guest rooms felt roughly 60% private lodging space and 40% prison cell. All that for 10,000 yen is terrible value.

The breakfast is fantastic, incredibly delicious, and gives you a real boost in the morning. The separate bathroom and toilet also make it easy to relax in the bath. Asakusa and Tokyo Skytree are nearby, as are a good soba restaurant and a good liquor store. It seems to be a family-run inn, and though I’m sure it’s tough, I think helping guests relax is the most important thing. The room environment matters, and it would be nice to have glasses and mugs in the room. Could beer be put in the vending machine? I’ll use the hotel again when I’m in Tokyo, but please fix the air conditioner by then! That was my only complaint on my first stay. On August 21st, in the scorching heat, the room’s air conditioning wasn’t working well. The front desk responded right away when I contacted them, which was good, but they brought a fan instead and said, “Yesterday’s guests mentioned the same thing.” That made me wonder why they knew it was an issue and hadn’t turned the air conditioning up and left a fan in the room from the start. They seem to have called a technician promptly, so hopefully it’ll be fixed before my next stay.

The breakfast was a carefully prepared Japanese meal, much better than breakfasts at expensive hotels, and the coffee afterward was delicious too. The facilities are older, but everything was very clean and well looked after. Staff were friendly, so I had a really pleasant and comfortable stay while sightseeing. It’s close to Tokyo Skytree and Asakusa, and I’d definitely stay here again.