APA Hotel Ueno Ekimae — Hotel in Tokyo

My boyfriend and I stayed here for 7 nights in May and it cost $780. Chose this location because it's close (

We spent a few nights here near the end of our holiday.

When we arrived the hallways were full of trash from housekeeping. We were about 10 minutes early for check-in so we accepted this was unlikely to be usual.

During our several night stay (we had two rooms) we noticed that trash in the hallways was normal operating procedure for the housekeeping staff and would sometimes be there in the afternoon as well. They also did not vacuum the rooms or hallways during our entire visit, across the three different hotel floors we visited. The hotel proudly acknowledged infrequent housekeeping practices through an in-room card as an environmental effort.

The rooms were compact but had a comfortable bed and extra pillows were provided upon request. We did not use the suggested under-bed storage because of the dust surrounding the walls of the room - as travelers we are aware this is where bed bugs would be most likely found. We did not get any bites or itching during our stay but we were particularly mindful of it the entire time.

Laundry machines were available, vending machine and ice machine, all of which we used during our stay. The fridge in each room was very helpful (there's an on/off switch, remember to flip it on!) and amenities were excellent and replenished daily in a bag on our doorknob.

The front desk staff and housekeeping staff we interacted with were very helpful and friendly, patient with some in our party with limited Japanese skills. They held our bags for several hours after checkout which was very convenient for our evening flight home.

We had previously been in an Apa Hotel in Osaka (resort class) and it was a stark contrast. The convenience for our outings and activities were the main reason we chose this location for our stay, and it is very close to Ueno station.

We would look for another hotel in the region if we need to stay nearby again. The total lack of vacuuming of any kind was alarming - if they did, it was not on the edges of any...

This hotel is in a great location with train (JR), Narita Airport Express and Metro stations all within 5 - 10 minutes walk.|The rooms are ‘compact’ which is the norm for many hotels in Japan but I found the rooms very clean and comfortable with good wifi access. My wife pointed out that our cases could be stored under the bed which gave us a more space. Clean towels and robes were supplied each day - hung on the door for you every morning and you just leave your used ones in a bag for them to collect outside…..this took a day or two for me to work out.|The reception staff got by with their limited English and were very efficient checking me in to my 2 rooms - which was much appreciated after a long flight. I know some feedback from other reviews suggest they are rude but I think with limited English they are better off being direct and may not have the friendly banter some might expect…perhaps if our Japanese was better we would have a better feel for the service they are providing.|The other bonus to this hotel is it’s onsen on the top floor. This is a great opportunity for anybody that might be a little shy to have a go at this very Japanese experience in the relative privacy of a hotel. It has an indoor and outdoor bath which was hugely welcome after a full day of walking.|It is my second time in Tokyo and chose to be based out of Ueno as there are a very good selection of shops and restaurants in the area, with Ueno Park and it’s attractions just on the doorstep!|We did not have breakfast in the hotel (the breakfast room was rather small so availability would have been an issue at peak times) but there is a Douty Coffee Shop right next door and a 7/11 2 mins away with the usual convenient selection.|I would agree with many that location is the biggest draw to this hotel but I enjoyed my 5 night stay and would definitely...