HOTEL GRAPHY NEZU — Hotel in Tokyo

Hotel Graphy Nezu has a lot going for it. The prices are very, very reasonable. Especially if you have a large group to room. We crammed 6 people into a dorm-style bunk room for a little over $25/night. They offer free draught beer during happy hour in the hotel bar, and they have their own micro brew IPA that's actually really good. The food was simple, and a little overpriced compared to the offerings of nearby restaurants, but filled you up and was tasty.

The staff were from all over the globe, and almost all of them spoke English as well as other languages. I met other guests from Italy, Argentina, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, France, Mexico, Germany, Sweden, and Uraguay. If you want a global experience, Hotel Graphy Nezu brings in guests from all over. You will be hard pressed to find such a global experience anywhere else.

The neighborhood is quiet, with residential and commercial structures surrounding it. The neighborhood is very safe, even late at night. A nearby neighbor had a $70,000 Alfa Romeo sitting in their garage. Even walking around at night, I did not feel concerned for my safety. It was all back alleys, but it felt natural to be there. I think this building used to be a dormitory at one point, based on the architecture. I have a pretty nasty allergy to dust, and it didn't trigger nearly as bad as I get in some hotels here in America. Ironic, because there was visible dust hanging off the vents in the common area.

The beds were a little cramped for my height (I'm 6'4", or 197cm), and the futon mattresses were a smidge thin. But we weren't spending much time in the hotel. It was mainly a place to sleep at night, stash our stuff, and shower in the morning. The AC wasn't playing nice the first night, but it turns out that was our own doing and not any fault of the hotel or its amenities. Bathrooms are communal, which is either a positive or negative depending on your outlook.

Getting to the hotel can be a bit of a jaunt. If you're coming from Ueno station, you have to walk almost a full km to get to the hotel. This can be troublesome when you've already walked more than 15 during the day, like I did.

There are not many konbini nearby, and none of them are 24 hour. The closest, Monmart, closes at 8:00 PM and is more of a liquor store than a true konbini. The New Day Yamazaki opens at 5:00 AM and closes around midnight. So if you show up super late and you've got the munchies, you better hope you grabbed something along the way because you won't find anything nearby for a few hours.

All criticisms aside, I would stay at Hotel Graphy Nezu again. It's a great value for the money, and I was not disappointed...

Our experience at this hostel was extremely disappointing due to the unprofessional and intimidating behavior of the management. We had booked as a group of five in a 6-bed dorm but were told upon arrival that we had been split into different rooms, some not even in 6-bed dorms. We were told that no matter how many people you book with and no matter what dorm you book ‘the system’ will automatically put the bookings into whatever beds are available. So if you book for 2 people to be in a 4 bed female dorm one person could end up in a 6 bed mixed dorm and another in a 4 bed mixed dorm. Should you wish to be together in the actual room you booked, you must go out your way to contact the hostel further and request for the type of booking you’ve already booked and still it won’t be guaranteed. This was unacceptable, especially as young female travelers who specifically booked together for safety and comfort.

When we raised this with the receptionist, she repeatedly claimed to be consulting the manager, but we were given conflicting explanations—first that he was in a meeting (at 7 PM) and later that he was unable to speak English. After persistent requests, two individuals finally came out: one man we had previously seen working in the bar, introduced as the manager, and another staff member who acted as a translator. We later discovered that the person presented as the translator was actually the real manager, who did speak English, which made the situation even more confusing and frustrating.

When we tried to discuss our concerns, the conversation quickly became tense. The manager accused us of making nationality jokes, which was completely untrue and deeply upsetting. His tone became increasingly loud, and he stood very close to us, which we found intimidating. When we calmly asked for his name, he mentioned calling the police, which felt like an unnecessary and disproportionate response. His only proposed solution was for us to leave, despite it being late in the evening and us having nowhere else to go.

The way this situation was handled left us feeling unsafe and humiliated. The staff provided inconsistent information, refused to engage with us professionally, and responded to our concerns with hostility instead of problem-solving. I would strongly advise anyone to avoid this hostel if they value professionalism, respect, and basic...

The location is quite nice, being set a little further back from the main road but still within walking distant of stations, restaurants, and other stores. The room I stayed in was quite spacious and had an ensuite bathroom (I noticed that certain floors had either men or women's bathrooms and shower areas, so I'm not sure all rooms have their own bathroom) which was a little tight for space and awkward to step up into, but was still functional and enjoyable. The shower had good water pressure and heat, while the tub was deep enough for a relaxing bath. The room itself had a couple amenties like a mini fridge, TV, and air conditioning. The view from the room wasn't much to brag about, but it was nice to be able to open the window to get the sun. The beds are comfortable with simple duvet sheets that kept you warm at night. I never heard any of the neighboring rooms, which was especially lovely at night. Check in was pretty quick and easy thanks to online check in services. I was also able to store my baggage so I could explore the surrounding area (since I arrived earlier than check in time). The complimentary drink service in the afternoon was a welcome surprise after full days of touring. Has a hipster feel to the place, but overall a good...