Hotel Route Inn Tokyo Asagaya — Hotel in Tokyo

Route Inn is a Chain of "business" hotels where the rooms are no frills. A Bed, small counter, chair and table, closet, and bathroom. The rooms are not large but for a solo traveler they are an excellent deal. 2 bed rooms are also available.

The staff speak English, and signs are in English throughout. They are very helpful. They will hold your bags before check-in if you arrive early, and after check out for the day at no extra cost. They also provide complimentary tokens for the vending machines which have both soft drinks and alcohol. They provide a wide range of amenities including robes, cotton swabs, shower caps and other toiletries. There is a smoking room in the lobby. Staff will make change if you need it. Free Wi-fi and Paid VOD service available.

Some rooms are smoking. I had a smoking room, due to it being the only one available, and while the room did not smell of smoke, the hallways did. While it doesn't bother me, it is best to seek a non-smoking room if you know this will bother you.

A thing to note is that all in room AC units and centrally set to heat or cold and are switched twice a year during the spring and fall. You can turn this off, but the room does not have a fan to circulate the air. The hotel is across from a fire station so if you leave the window open at night, you might be awoken by the fire trucks.

The lobby connects directly to the Mini Stop convivence store, which means on particularly hot or cold days you won't need to go outside. Note, the door is locked between midnight and 6 AM, and you will need to go outside to access it after those hours.

The hotel offers a large complimentary breakfast buffet for guests in the morning, with a wide range of both Japanese and Western food options. This is a welcome addition to any traveler who may being doing a lot of walking during the day.

The location is perfect for those traveling into the city center as it's a 3 minute walk to the Marunouchi Subway Line Minami-Asagaya Station. The JR Asagaya station is only 7 minute walk away, giving you access to both the Chuo Local and Chuo Rapid lines.

There are plenty of restaurants and bars due to the proximity to the station, and the covered shopping district provides plenty of shopping and restaurant options. From local bars to fast food chains.

If you are a solo traveler looking for a good location, a good price, and a no frills room, you can't do...

PROS:||- The hotel is a three-minute walk to the left of Exit 1 of Minami-asagaya Station on the Marunouchi Line. Shinjuku is just 11 minutes away by subway.||- There is a convenience store directly connected to the hotel's lobby for immediate needs.||- Rooms are decently sized by Japanese standards, but definitely not for clautrophobic individuals. Rooms contain the basic facilities (mini refrigerator, television, humidifier), and a USB power outlet. Free wifi has a good signal inside the room.||- On a clear day, Mount Fuji can be seen from some rooms in the hotel's west side.||- Bathroom is likewise small but sufficient. Toiletries are well-stocked, and are replenished daily.||- Buffet breakfast is included in the room's price. Dishes are varied daily, which are mostly on the Japanese side. There are also vending machines selling hot and cold beverages.||- Hotel staff speaks adequate English, and is helpful to every guest's needs.||||CONS:||- Hotel location is quite from the city center.||- There is a fire station fronting the hotel which can be a bit noisy at times, especially when they use sirens.||- Hanachaya, their breakfast buffet restaurant on the second floor, can get crowded at times because it is not that big.||- Only Japanese channels are available on the television.||- The hotel doesn't have a currency exchange facility; there's a post office just to the right of the metro exit...

It was a nice and easy hotel to use. Staff were very sweet. The only thing that annoyed me was my original room stank of cigarettes even though it was a non-smoking room. Fortunately, I was able to change it swiftly. Also walls were paperthin and you could hear every noise, that was the only other thing that disappointed me. |The furniture in the room was adequate and although it was a small room which you would expect, it was most functional. You are also able to make it cosy with the choice of lighting. There was also a handy USB charger for your iphone device. The Wi-Fi signal was good as well. The breakfast which was included in my room registered not have much western choice, but I did not expect anything else. I would also recommend you get down there extra early because there was loads of other tourists. The staff were also happy to keep my bag whilst I could not check in because of the 3 PM time for which I arrived early. |The local area is absolutely for the locals and they were nice little restaurants to choose from, all within easy walking distance of the hotel itself. And then the Hotel was also very close to the train station and whether you arrive at Minami asagaya or normal asagaya it's fine and...