Dormy inn Ueno — Hotel in Tokyo

Checked in at 7pm for a 4 nights stay between 5/22/2024 - 5/26/2024 and was given room 404, a corner room with a twin sized bed - no issues or a wait checking in, since I was the only one there at that time of day. Previously while in Ueno 5 yrs ago, I stayed at the Hotel Sardonyx that’s down the street from this hotel and at a hotel near Shinobazu pond, that’s now called Hotel Pasha Grand. ||I picked this hotel due to its mostly positive reviews from travelers, the reasonable price for a room and most importantly, the proximity to Keisei Ueno Station and JR Ueno Station. From my experience going to Japan, it helps to be as close to the train station as much as possible, especially if you’re going to be hauling stuff from shopping and/or luggage around, and you’re not utilizing the luggage delivery service from the airport to hotel and vice versa. ||I knew in advance the room was going to be tiny and when I stepped in, sure enough it was. Barely enough space to place your suitcase, if you’re planning to have it flat and/or open. I placed mine, flat with the top propped up, right by the bed, in front of the open closet (as it was too much trouble to zip and unzip the suitcase all the time), but to maximize space, it’s best to have it closed and upright next to the closet, or in the hallway at all times. The open closet has about 6 or so hangers. In terms of total sq ft of floor space, I think the APA hotel might be worse in that it’s even less floor space, though. ||Upon arrival in your room there’s a bottle of water and a jelly dessert for you in the fridge. Body soap, shampoo and conditioner are POLA brand. There is no electrical outlet in the bathroom, so the hair dryer can only be used in the main room at the desk, which has no mirror.||Although I communicated with hotel staff in Japanese, the front desk staff speaks English, so that’s a plus for anyone who doesn’t speak Japanese. Hotel staff were nice and when I didn’t know what happened to my room key card and asked for a replacement - they didn’t charge me for it (after returning to my room, I discovered that I never lost it and had simply forgotten to take the original room card with me, as I was in a rush most of my few days in Japan).||Note that there is only one elevator in this hotel, so with 12 floors, if you’re in one of the lower floors like I was - it’s likely at times that by the time the elevator makes it to your floor, it’ll be packed with guests from the upper floors. After this had happened to me once, I learned my lesson and took the stairs during my rest of my time there when going down from the 4th fl to the 1st, with the exception of when I had to haul my luggage down to check out. Going up was no problem, as the elevator was never full. ||I used their microwave oven that’s on the 12th fl, once, but this was definitely the most disgusting and unpleasant part of my time at this hotel. When I got to the room housing the microwave, another guest was using it at the time, so I waited a few minutes before he was done. When I attempted to use it, I immediately felt that the microwave oven’s handle was covered in grease from the previous person(s) who used it, which was hella gross - that and the entire microwave plate was covered in grease. Since there’s no sink and no paper towels, napkins or tissue in the room that has the microwave, nor is it manned by staff, I could see how easily this could happen. . . I’m glad that I had gel hand sanitizer on me at the time - it helped a little, but I’m pointing this out as it’s possible you may experience something similar. ||I did not use their onsen, nor did I try out their breakfast. In retrospect, I should’ve had their breakfast at least once, just to see what it was like (it’s ¥1,800 if you didn’t choose to the option to have breakfast added to your room rate when you’d booked), but I mainly had food from the conbini, which has items that are tastier than a meal one could get at some American restaurants. ||Would I stay here, again? I have mixed feelings about this place. There are clear pros and cons. The location is excellent, in that it’s so close to both Keisei Ueno Station and JR Ueno station, it’s about a 6-7 min walk. They allow you to have them to hold your bags, even after the check out time of 11am, for the purpose of coming back a bit later to pick them up, which is nice if your flight departs in the early evening hours and you don’t want to get to the airport way too early. If I was traveling on a budget and money was a factor, then yes, I’d stay at this hotel again, but I’d book a larger room, if available. Note that the largest room on each floor is right near the elevator, so choosing that means it might be a bit noisy at times, due to guests congregating while waiting for the lone elevator to arrive, which sometimes takes minutes. If I could afford someplace else that had a bigger room and more than one elevator in Ueno, then I’d stay somewhere else, but with the understanding that I’d sacrifice the location being further away from the...

Checked in at 7pm for a 4 nights stay between 5/22/2024 - 5/26/2024 and was given room 404, a corner room with a twin sized bed - no issues or a wait checking in, since I was the only one there at that time of day. Previously while in Ueno 5 yrs ago, I stayed at the Hotel Sardonyx that’s down the street from this hotel and at a hotel near Shinobazu pond, that’s now called Hotel Pasha Grand. ||I picked this hotel due to its mostly positive reviews from travelers, the reasonable price for a room and most importantly, the proximity to Keisei Ueno Station and JR Ueno Station. From my experience going to Japan, it helps to be as close to the train station as much as possible, especially if you’re going to be hauling stuff from shopping and/or luggage around, and you’re not utilizing the luggage delivery service from the airport to hotel and vice versa. ||I knew in advance the room was going to be tiny and when I stepped in, sure enough it was. Barely enough space to place your suitcase, if you’re planning to have it flat and/or open. I placed mine, flat with the top propped up, right by the bed, in front of the open closet (as it was too much trouble to zip and unzip the suitcase all the time), but to maximize space, it’s best to have it closed and upright next to the closet, or in the hallway at all times. The open closet has about 6 or so hangers. In terms of total sq ft of floor space, I think the APA hotel might be worse in that it’s even less floor space, though. ||Upon arrival in your room there’s a bottle of water and a jelly dessert for you in the fridge. Body soap, shampoo and conditioner are POLA brand. There is no electrical outlet in the bathroom, so the hair dryer can only be used in the main room at the desk, which has no mirror.||Although I communicated with hotel staff in Japanese, the front desk staff speaks English, so that’s a plus for anyone who doesn’t speak Japanese. Hotel staff were nice and when I didn’t know what happened to my room key card and asked for a replacement - they didn’t charge me for it (after returning to my room, I discovered that I never lost it and had simply forgotten to take the original room card with me, as I was in a rush most of my few days in Japan).||Note that there is only one elevator in this hotel, so with 12 floors, if you’re in one of the lower floors like I was - it’s likely at times that by the time the elevator makes it to your floor, it’ll be packed with guests from the upper floors. After this had happened to me once, I learned my lesson and took the stairs during my rest of my time there when going down from the 4th fl to the 1st, with the exception of when I had to haul my luggage down to check out. Going up was no problem, as the elevator was never full. ||I used their microwave oven that’s on the 12th fl, once, but this was definitely the most disgusting and unpleasant part of my time at this hotel. When I got to the room housing the microwave, another guest was using it at the time, so I waited a few minutes before he was done. When I attempted to use it, I immediately felt that the microwave oven’s handle was covered in grease from the previous person(s) who used it, which was hella gross - that and the entire microwave plate was covered in grease. Since there’s no sink and no paper towels, napkins or tissue in the room that has the microwave, nor is it manned by staff, I could see how easily this could happen. . . I’m glad that I had gel hand sanitizer on me at the time - it helped a little, but I’m pointing this out as it’s possible you may experience something similar. ||I did not use their onsen, nor did I try out their breakfast. In retrospect, I should’ve had their breakfast at least once, just to see what it was like (it’s ¥1,800 if you didn’t choose to the option to have breakfast added to your room rate when you’d booked), but I mainly had food from the conbini, which has items that are tastier than a meal one could get at some American restaurants. ||Would I stay here, again? I have mixed feelings about this place. There are clear pros and cons. The location is excellent, in that it’s so close to both Keisei Ueno Station and JR Ueno station, it’s about a 6-7 min walk. They allow you to have them to hold your bags, even after the check out time of 11am, for the purpose of coming back a bit later to pick them up, which is nice if your flight departs in the early evening hours and you don’t want to get to the airport way too early. If I was traveling on a budget and money was a factor, then yes, I’d stay at this hotel again, but I’d book a larger room, if available. Note that the largest room on each floor is right near the elevator, so choosing that means it might be a bit noisy at times, due to guests congregating while waiting for the lone elevator to arrive, which sometimes takes minutes. If I could afford someplace else that had a bigger room and more than one elevator in Ueno, then I’d stay somewhere else, but with the understanding that I’d sacrifice the location being further away from the...

Dormy Inn Ueno Tokyo – A Small but Well-Equipped StayDuring my recent stay at Dormy Inn Ueno Tokyo, I found it to be a compact yet highly convenient hotel, especially for travelers who prioritize location and practical amenities over excessive space. It’s not a luxury hotel, but it does a great job of providing a comfortable stay with thoughtful touches.Location – Perfect for TravelersOne of the best things about this hotel is its location. Just a short walk from Ueno Station, it offers easy access to the JR Yamanote Line, the Keisei Skyliner (for Narita Airport), and multiple metro lines, making it an excellent choice for those who plan to explore different parts of Tokyo. Additionally, the Ameya-Yokocho (Ameyoko) Market is just around the corner, where you’ll find everything from fresh seafood and street food to clothing and souvenirs. It’s a lively area that adds to the appeal of staying in Ueno.Room & Facilities – Compact but FunctionalAs expected, the rooms are small, which is pretty standard in Tokyo, but they are well-designed with everything you need. The bed was comfortable, and the room included basic amenities like a TV, a small desk, and a fridge. Storage space is limited, but for a short stay, it was manageable. The bathroom was also compact, though the onsen (public bath) on-site makes up for it.Onsen – A Small but Relaxing BathOne of the highlights of staying at Dormy Inn hotels is their public bath (onsen), and this location has one, albeit on the smaller side. It’s not the biggest or most luxurious onsen, but it’s a nice way to unwind after a long day of walking around Tokyo. The water temperature was just right, and while the space was limited, it wasn’t overly crowded when I visited.Freebies & Unique PerksDormy Inn is known for offering small but unique perks to its guests. This location provides free popsicles and yogurt drinks, which is a nice touch. However, they are only available during specific hours, so if you’re out sightseeing all day, you might miss out on them. They also supposedly offer free late-night soba, a Dormy Inn signature, but I never actually saw it happen and didn’t feel like asking about it. Maybe I just missed the time window. Free manga readingHousekeeping – No Room Cleaning, Just Fresh TowelsOne thing to note is that Dormy Inn follows a no-daily-cleaning policy. Instead of a full room service, they simply drop off fresh towels outside your door. This is fine if you’re staying just a few days, but if you prefer daily room cleaning, you might find it lacking.Staff & ServiceThe staff at check-in were friendly and efficient, which I appreciated. They handled everything quickly and provided all the necessary information without any issues. While I didn’t interact with them much after check-in, the overall service felt professional and welcoming.Final Thoughts – A Solid Stay for Practical TravelersOverall, Dormy Inn Ueno Tokyo is a great choice if you’re looking for a convenient, budget-friendly, and functional stay in Tokyo. The location is excellent, the onsen is a nice touch, and the small perks like free drinks and late-night snacks add to the experience. Just keep in mind that the rooms are small, there’s no daily cleaning, and some of the free amenities have limited availability. If you’re okay with that, it’s a great place to...