APA Hotel Asakusa-Eki-mae — Hotel in Tokyo

Booking a place in Tokyo might be overwhelming for most people even for seasoned travelers like us whose been in this mega-city many times. Our usual go to places before were Shinjuku or Ueno but this time around we decided to try a different place, a more cultural one and there’s one location in our mind - Asakusa. A visit to this holy temple is not to be missed if when visiting Tokyo. The vibes, culture, Temple grounds, numerous shops and food, and most of all the environment of Asakusa hits the mark. So when we decided the district in Tokyo, next is choosing the right hotel and mind you it was so confusing. With so many hotels in the area the next thing to find is if its near the subway not including were on a budget. APA hotels have numerous branch in Asakusa and some are pricier than the other depending on the location. Without ever thinking after too much confusion, we picked APA Hotel Asakusa Ekimae, based on reviews and its distance to Asakusa station plus its well within our budget of around 100 SGD++ per night. But what made us ultimately book this lovely hotel is the free breakfast that comes with the price which is amazing and quite a good catch when were booking that time.||||My tip - book 1 or 2 months in advance which we did via Agoda and after careful scouring we found this hotel with breakfast included. It's a rare opportunity for us to have breakfast added in our Japanese hotels so we took the chance. It’s a simple Standard room with double bed for 2 people enough for us at 11 sqm. For 100++ per night, we stayed for 5 nights and those times we really, really loved this place especially the location and its lovely Tesihoku breakfast provided each morning. Asakusa station crosses 2 lines - Asakusa line and Ginza line. The hotel is located in Komagata road that connects to Kaminarimon Avenue where the famous temple gate will greet you where all the activities and crowds gather and happens. The walk is about 5 mins if your fast traversing just 1 main intersection and about 10 mins if it's a leisurely stroll. That is if you exit via Ginza Line Exit 1. However, the hotel is even closer to Asakusa Line exit A1. This is the other line that connects you to Haneda Airport or Tokyo Skytree. As you exit its there just across the street greeting you. So if you’re coming or going to Haneda then this is the hotel for you. That convenience is what made this hotel so practical and affordable much to our surprise. When I booked it, I thought it will be long walk but were mistaken. There is one Family mart beside the hotel and the area is clean, safe and less crowded than near the temple grounds. We checked in after 5 in the afternoon and it wasn’t busy - efficient, fast and quick. The hotel is famous for APA’s branding and design of Orange and Black facade of the building and the lovely, classy, elegant interior of the lobby with huge, dazzling, glistening chandeliers and very aromatic scent filling the air - yes I wanna work in this kind of environment haha!!!||||The check-in process will require you to write your details and input digitally as well which I found like a duplicate process but regardless we have to abide by their rules. We took the lift and aesthetically the design of the interior follows us everywhere up to your room. It is modern, vibrant, chic and cozy. Our room is small comparable to a typical Japanese hotel. What surprised us the most is the elegant, classy, modern design of the room especially the warm bright lighting which gives you a feeling that its huge. As you enter the room, there is a wall hanger on the right side for your clothes and accessories. A body mirror next to it facing the toilet. The room is laid out with a dark brown carpet and the pattern of furniture, layout and flooring follows that of the hotel’s overall design aesthetics. There is a dark brown office table next to the mirror with office chair and compartments. They provide kettle, coffee/tea (matcha), cups, desk phone and magazines. Most of the power outlets are located here equipped with USB outlet which I like and found in almost every Japanese hotel. There is also a big mirror here following the length of the table. On top of the mirror there is a space where you could also place your things. This is our comfy place for resting and dining especially if we have to buy take away foods and having drinks like coffee/tea/beer. Across the table is the comfy, clean, cool, silky, smooth double bed. It has a very clean and soft blanket and pillows and I loved that even the bed they provide the same pattern for the cover - textures of intersecting lines and shapes in dark brown to black colors with intermingling white ones. I especially loved the mini table lamp on the corner wall which gives a very comforting and relaxing vibes which made me really sleep well. There is a window on top fo the bed which amazingly is just the right size to give you a peek of the skylines of Asakusa - I really loved our view. On the side near the table there are compartments and power/USB outlet which gives you additional comfort and place to store you things like gadgets and other personal stuff. This is also where you regulate the room temperature and they have mini flashlight also attached here. What APA did to compromise on the small space is that there is a big space under the bed where you could put your large luggage and other things you can put under the table. This gives us a more space and comfort so we can open and close our luggage and placing them under the table which gives us room to move when going to the toilet or outside.||||There is a huge flat screen Smart TV mounted on the wall facing the bed which for my estimate is around 40” the largest TV we had so far in the hotels we stayed in Japan. They only provide local channels but there is an English NHK World channel and BBC news which is translated. APA is also one of the hotels that provide Pay per View movie options in their Smart TV and some are even free. We can mirror our phone/laptop to watch Youtube or Netflix in the big TV as well. There is a space between the bed and the wall where the TV is mounted and they also provide air purifier typical to Japanese hotels. In addition to the TV, the WIFI is absolutely fast similar to the high quality of standards provided by Japanese hotels.||||Then going to my favourite part of our room and night time relaxation - the toilet and tub. It is even smaller than our previous hotels we stayed in Japan but it was very clean, efficient and designed perfectly to give you space to move inside the toilet. In fact, 2 person can do their personal stuff inside the toilet - one can take a bath and the others in the toilet area. Toiletries and amenities are provided here and complete. Compared to our previous hotels, you don’t need to get your toiletries outside your room because their daily provided. They only offer paper cups for their toiletries but I loved their aromatherapy shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Towels are smooth, soft and very clean. Toilet is Japanese style automatic toilet as expected and the tub is easy to use and manage. Water pressure is strong and temperature is easy to regulate. As usual, I never missed taking hot tub nightly to relax and rejuvenate my body after a long day of walking. Just like our previous hotels, we opted for non-cleaning daily service options instead we can leave our used towels and trash outside in a plastic and they will hang in our doors the replacement ones. Because we stayed for 5 nights we got a free 1 day of cleaning service which we were surprised to know. I loved, loved their Japanese style Grey Yukata sleeping robe with black Obi belt which I used nightly for sleeping. Tip - if you’re traveling to Japan no need to bring night pajamas or night sleeping wear Japanese hotels have them for you - clean and comfy.||||Finally, one of my most favourite part of stay here in APA Hotel Asakusa Ekimare is their breakfast. As mentioned, we booked our room with breakfast and lucky we did. Their breakfast is served between 7 to 9 in the morning and its a Teishoku style Japanese breakfast - 5 choices including 1 Western. It is served on their restaurant just adjacent to the lobby near the main entrance. My favourite is the western option which includes Fried egg, Tuna salad, Miso soup, Hamburger patty, Shrimp tempura, Potato salad, Miso soup, Pineapple slice with Cherry and Toast with Jam. Mind you, their breakfast set is one of the most delicious, appetizing, beautifully plated on a Teishoku bento box - just simply the best!!! They exceeded my expectations on their breakfast even besting the 5 star hotels. It really exceeded all our expectations of what you paid for and is so much worth it!!! In addition, their freshly roasted/brewed coffee is also one the best I had - perfectly blended not too strong, right bitterness and the taste of pure Black coffee!! On the 2nd day, I tried the traditional Japanese set which includes Salmon sashimi don with rice, Bamboo and Pickled veggies, Hot Soba noodles and Half-boiled egg. Again, this is another fantastic breakfast meal but this time all the Japanese flavours of fresh Salmon, Egg, and Soba will really kick start your day. Just fresh ingredients, savoury, tasty, appetizing and most of all very delicious!!! On the 3rd day, I tried the Shrimp tempura style pancake set which is similar to Salmon sashimi don set except it has the Shrimp tempura and this one i s a bit simpler compared to the other 2 I’ve tried but still maintained its freshness, beauty and yumminess. I never got to taste the other 2 options - Porridge and Negitoro set because I have to leave early on those days but mind you if you’re ever staying in Asakusa then don’t miss booking this place - its called Tsukagoshi - Tempura and Japanese cuisine.||||To conclude my excellent review of APA Hotel Asakusa Ekimae and Tsukagoshi its partner restaurant for breakfast - SUGOI neh!!! One of the best experience and hotel I have stayed in my several visits to Japan. Asakusa is a great, beautiful and unique place to stay in Tokyo so if you ever come here then book APA Hotel Asakusa Ekimae, very close to subway, great dining - Tsukagoshi, modern and chic interior and rooms and most of all very affordable - you get more than what you paid for!!! Kudos APA Hotel Asakusa Ekimae - you did a great job!!! Kanpai!!!...

The middle-aged female manager with short hair at the front desk is an extremely rude employee with a strong discriminatory attitude toward Taiwanese tourists. Because this hotel has an extremely convenient location and transportation access, I have always recommended it to my friends. My past stays and interactions with the front desk staff have been excellent, making me feel the warmth and friendliness of the Japanese toward Taiwanese visitors. However, this time, my travel experience was completely ruined by this front desk manager!

On the day of check-out, we were delayed by a little over ten minutes because we were searching for a misplaced personal item and checking the room’s corners to ensure nothing else was left behind. To our shock, this female manager came straight to our room door and, with an extremely rude and disrespectful attitude, commanded us, “Come down now!” I immediately apologized and explained that we were just checking for any forgotten items. However, she still refused to change her attitude and continued speaking to us in a condescending and impolite tone, saying, “Quick.”

I was completely shocked by her behavior! I understand that our delay was our mistake, and if she had charged us for those extra minutes, we would have accepted it. Alternatively, she could have politely asked us to speed up. The truth is, our luggage was already placed by the door—we were not just lying on the bed chatting. She even saw my friend actively checking the corners of the room, yet she still insisted on treating us this way. It was truly frustrating.

Despite this unpleasant experience, when I return to Taiwan, I will still recommend this hotel to friends planning to visit Tokyo due to its convenient location and transportation access. However, I will warn them to be cautious of this female manager. If her attitude remains just as terrible, my friends will also share their negative experiences in the review section, allowing more potential guests to see and evaluate her behavior until she corrects it.

Aside from this female manager, this hotel has indeed provided us with great convenience. I sincerely hope that you take the attitude of your...

Our first time at an APA hotel. Just the two of us. My husband came for work and I came to explore. ||A small room, (for sure), but this was our choice and our budget allowed for this. Room was large enough for the two of us. We stored our luggage under the bed to give us more room. ||Delighted with the hotel being walking distance to: transportation, tourist sites, shopping district, and a variety of eating and cultural establishments. ||For our stay we opted to have the breakfast inclusive package which allows you a lovely cultural meal each day. Each meal included: hot and cold portions, raw and cooked items, protein, meat and starches, fruit and or vegetables. (Vegetarian version available). Breakfast seating is from 7-9:30 AM. You are offered 6 meal options that are immediately prepared and graciously delivered to your table. Using our phones translation app - we were able to read each menu item before trying and I must say the experience of trying new foods and flavours was joyful. Self-serve coffee, tea and water are available. (No tipping is expected or accepted).||While room cleaning is done every three days - fresh Yukata (hotel pyjamas / robe) and towels are provided and hung outside your door daily. Same with instant coffee, tea, sugar and creamers. Disposable cups. Your trash and recycling are also removed daily. ||Basic toiletries, hairbrush, cotton swabs, disposable razors, shower cap, toothbrush, and paste and hair ties are all complementary. Hand and shower soap, shampoo and conditioner are also provided; as are writing pen and note pad. ||Small fridge in each room can hold: fruit, veggies, beverages and snacks that you purchase from nearby grocery shops.||A microwave is available in the lower level as is a pant-press / ironing station. ||We are Impressed with the cleanliness and efficiency of this establishment. ||Staff, although low in English language skills are eager to please, and ensure that your state is the best it can...