JR-EAST HOTEL METS PREMIER AKIHABARA — Hotel in Tokyo

We stayed here for two weeks and loved it. It is located right in the JR train station, which made travel very convenient throughout our stay. The rooms were very well soundproofed, so even though we could see a train directly outside of our window, we couldn't hear it at all (I think one time in the two weeks I heard a horn, but overall I was shocked at how quiet it was). The location is also, of course, amazing for anyone interested in shopping in Akihabara. The bath/shower room was amazing. They had free bath salts you can grab at the 2nd floor (along with other amenities like razors and q-tips). The beds were soft by Japanese standards, but were quite firm by American standards. We also stayed at the remm Tokyo Kyobashi and the Oakwood Suites Yokohama on this trip, and the beds were very similar in all 3 places. The elevator opens up at the New Days convenience store on the first floor, which was very convenient. We got a cheap and quick breakfast at New Days most days (rice balls, yogurt, baked goods, coffee/juice). We had our luggage delivered to this hotel from our previous hotel, and they had it waiting for us in the lobby when we checked in. They weren't able to send our luggage to the airport for us, but there is a Yamato Transport location in the next building over that does offer this service, so it was easy to walk our bags over there a few days before our flight. There are 3 laundry machines on the 3rd floor. You can see on the TV which ones are available and how much time is left on them. We sometimes had to wait for an hour or two for one to become available, but it wasn't that bad. There are English instructions on them, and they dispense laundry detergent automatically (so you don't need to add any). The elevator stops automatically at the 2nd floor lobby every time you're going up or down, which is a little annoying. The few times we actually went out into the lobby, the staff were friendly and helpful. A few of the other reviews mentioned not liking that you could see an adult shop right outside their window. I wouldn't worry about that too much. The store in question, "M's", is a very large, fun-looking, colorful store right in the middle of Akihabara. If you're traveling with kids, they are definitely going to see it and ask what they sell, and maybe ask what "tenga" means, so I could imagine that would be awkward. However, there is nothing x-rated on the outside of the building itself, and it's in a very prominent location so you're going to walk by it every day regardless of where you stay. If you're concerned, I would Google "M's Akihabara" and look at the street view images and see whether that puts your mind at ease or confirms...

After viewing lots of traveller photos and videos, I decided to book one of the station side superior doubles for my spouse and I as firstly, the layout seemed to make better use of the allotted space in comparison to the other superior double option. Less claustrophobic for the 2 weeks we would be staying there! Secondly (and most importantly), was the arrangement of the double bed with both sides being equally accessible for the two of us rather than pushed right up against a wall. The only ‘downside’ to the room was a lack of a window with a view outside, but as the station side faces directly east, I realized if the windows weren’t frosted and covered by blinds, the room would be a veritable furnace. As they are, the windows let in the natural glow of daylight. Others have mentioned being able to store small pieces of luggage under the bed. We were able to fit two out of three pieces of our large luggage (closed) under the bed. They both measure just under 12” in depth. The one which didn’t quite fit is a full 12” deep. But it happily sat out of the way in front of the open wardrobe area. If left open, it too could have gone under the bed, so that is a thoughtful feature of the beds. Speaking of thoughtfulness, when the member of staff who was helping check us in noticed I am partially disabled (cane and an AFO) she asked if we would like a room close to the lifts! I gratefully accepted. With all the walking we do outside of the hotel, it was lovely to have such a short trip to get back to the room itself when I really needed to get off my feet. Echoing what other reviewers have said, the Lifts are truly infuriating. It is the one and only criticism we have of the hotel. I didn’t think it would be all that bad, but always having to stop at the 2nd floor defies all logic and quickly starts testing patience. Also worth noting: The Chill Out drink and “Chocolates for Sleep” provided in the room both contain GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid). It is a neurotransmitter, commonly used as a relaxant in Japan, but do take care to do your own research on side-effects (namely medical condition contraindications and drug interactions) if you’re not familiar with it! It does have them. We will definitely be using this hotel again, it’s a perfectly nice place to stay and the convenience of its location...

This is a 3.5 stars to me.

Good value for your money but there are things to keep in mind.

The good stuff

Location… it’s right outside the JR Station (exit Electric Town). It’s very convenient to go to Ginza & Tokyo Station. It’s an easy walk to the Tokyo Metro and the other metro line.

Bathroom size… the bathroom has a separate area for the shower area and toilette & sink area. This is not so common in Japan at this budget.

Rooms are very quiet. You’d never think you are next to the train rails.

The not-so-good stuff

Beds are hard to sleep on. They are really firm/hard. We never got used to it. My body hurt every morning.

For long stays (more than 1 night), they have a policy of cleaning rooms only every 3 days. They will change towels and remove trash everyday but they won’t tide the room. However, you can request what they call “normal cleaning” to be done everyday. I did this after the 2nd day, no issues and no extra cost.

Laundry area is too small and can get chaotic. There are only 3 machines and over 100 rooms. There is a 30 min. policy to remove clothes if owners don’t pick it up. We had to wait almost 45 min in line to get access to the machine, there’s a lot of demand as expected. They would benefit from some sort of booking system and reduce the 30 min policy to 10 minutes. Machine rims should be cleaned or updated.

Other than this, keep in mind this is not a luxury hotel. It’s a “worker” type of hotel, it’s supposed to be a recent hotel built for the 2021 Olympics. Don’t expect anything fancy.

We had a few communication challenges with the front desk staff. One of the challenges caused some stress on us since we thought we would lose our flight home. Front desk staff are all very kind and willing to help but you have to be patient and simplify your communication. They rely a lot on a translation software they have on a tablet.

Note: This hotel does not arrange luggage forwarding for you. You can do it on the konbibi...