Karaksa Hotel TOKYO STATION — Hotel in Tokyo

My family and I comprising six persons stayed 5 nights in this hotel in late March 2024. We chose this hotel because it is about 250 meters walking distance to the Yaesu North Exit/Gate of Tokyo Station where we took a shinkansen train to Osaka on the sixth day. It is also within walking distance to the Nihombashi Subway Station (about 350 meters), restaurants, 7-eleven and Family Mart convenience stores and Nihombashi Takashiyama and Daimaru Tokyo department stores. ||How to get there & hotel location - on a public holiday (Spring Equinox), we took a private charter from Tokyo Haneda Airport and arrived the hotel at 6pm after 30 minutes journey. The driver told us that it usually take 30 minutes to one and half hour (or 90 minutes), depending on the time of the day and day of the week. Alternatively, you could also take the Tokyo monorail at Haneda Airport to Hamamatsucho Station followed by train from Hamamatsucho Station to Tokyo Station on the JR Yamanote Line and finally come out of the Yaesu North Exit/Gate and reach the hotel in about 5 to 7 minutes by first crossing the wide and busy Sotobori-dori Avenue then turning left and walking about 100 metres along Sotobori-dori Avenue and finally turning right into 1-chōme-5-4 Yaesu street. From Narita Airport, it is a straightforward 1-hour train ride on the JR Narita Express to Tokyo Station followed by a 5 to 7 minutes’ walk to the hotel from the Yaesu North Exit. To get to Nihombashi Subway Station (A13 on the Toei Asakusa Line, T10 on the Tozai Line, G11 on the Ginza Line), turn right after coming out of the hotel entrance, walk straight, cross Yaesu Naka Dōri street, cross National Route 15, turn left and enter the subway station via B6 or B8 entrance.||Hotel Staff - receptionist who welcomed us was Bayani. He was polite and explained to us in fluent English about the hotel facilities (sometimes using translated information sheet). The hotel has an interesting offering for each guest either a breakfast coupon or a 500 voucher which can be redeemed at the restaurants, cafes and convenient stores at Yaechika Shopping Mall (basement of Tokyo Station) and Daimaru Tokyo Department Store. The other hotel staff are attentive and friendly and always greeted us whenever we walked past them.||Hotel Room - we stayed in a non-smoking connecting room for 6 people – actually 2 bedrooms each with 2 large twin beds and a twin sofa bed (slightly shorter than the twin bed) with the doors between the adjoining rooms opened. When we entered, we were impressed by the compact layout of the room comprising lavatory, bathroom (with Pola Esthe Royer soap and conditioner), sink area with towels and bedroom. We find each room is considered just about right in terms of spaciousness. There was a pleasant and modern feel about the bedroom decorated with pale grey wall paper, grey rectangular blocks wall paper, light brown curtain and light brown birch-colored furniture. Besides the 3 beds (each bed with one hard and one soft pillow), each room has a wall-mounted LCD TV, wall-mounted wardrobe with hangars, a rectangular table between large twin bed and the sofa bed, a cupboard that keeps kettle, two cups and green tea packets, a mini-refrigerator with 3 bottles of water that were replaced daily, an air ionizer, 3 pairs of slippers. However, there was no chair, no ironing board, no iron and no safe. Daily housekeeping from 11am to 2pm collects trash, changes towels and white pajamas and makes the bed.|We liked the following about the room:|(1) The beds are comfortable such that we all had a good night sleep|(2) The rooms are very clean and well maintained |(3) The room was very quiet due to the excellent noise insulation from neighboring rooms|(4) Air-con was strong yet quiet|(5) Complementary wi-fi access and connection speed was fast|(6) White pajamas are provided and are changed daily|(7) The lavatory has a small sink and tap to wash our hands|We disliked the following about the room:|(1) The view from the room window looked out into an opposite hotel room, essentially no view at all|(2) The bathroom is very cramped – about 115 centimeters long by 85 centimeters wide – which accommodates one adult with standing room only.|(3) The passageway between the two main beds and the wall is narrow such that there is no walking space when a large luggage bed is opened on the floor. You may have to slide your luggage under the twin bed or place it between the aisle between the beds.||Hotel Restaurant - the only (small) restaurant in the hotel served daily breakfast from 7 am to 9 am and has only 27 green seats; peak hour is between 7:30 am to 8:30 am. If you cannot find any seat, you can pack the food in the provided disposable takeaway boxes and bags and eat in your rooms or elsewhere. Breakfast menu consists of a healthy spread of: croissant, pita bread (for filling in of ingredients), plain yogurt, cut lettuce, roasted ham slices, sliced cucumber, cut carrot, onions, tuna as well as the following that are available on different days: chicken teriyaki, cheese bread roll, milk bread, Italian grill vegetable mix, potato salad, egg salad, scrambled eggs, blueberry and mango chunks. |The restaurant also served complimentary sakura mochi (pink rice cake filled with sweetened bean paste) and obagi (sticky rice ball covered with red bean paste) in the evening. Do note that these limited dessert pieces are on a “first come first serve” basis.|There are two dispenser machines – the first one dispenses hot and cold coffee and hot water (to make tea from the available complimentary tea bags) and the second one dispenses soft drinks and juice. Both dispensing machines are available for hotel guests during breakfast and between 10am to 10pm.||Hotel facilities - There is no gymnasium, no swimming pool, no onsen and no porter service. While there is no laundry service, we did use the launderette which has two washing and drying machines where we deposited coins to use (¥500 to wash and dry 3kg clothes in 2 hours, ¥400 to wash and dry 1kg clothes in 80 minutes, ¥300 to wash 3kg clothes in 35 minutes and ¥100 for additional 30 minutes drying). In terms of security, you have to tap your card in the elevator before you can go up. Opposite the reception, there are baskets containing hair brushes, shaving razors, cotton pads and swabs, elastic hair bands, wash towels and shower caps for hotel guests. Do note that the hotel access cards that you get during check in have to be returned during check out otherwise you would pay a penalty fee of ¥1000.||Overall, my family and I enjoyed a wonderful stay at the 3-star Karaksa Tokyo Station. This excellently located hotel looks after its guests and their needs well and is really value for money. Hence it is no surprise that it was awarded 2024 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards. We will definitely come back here the next time when we...

This hotel is super close to the Yaesu side, of Tokyo Station. Around 5 minutes, (add | the extra 5 minutes) cross the road.||The staff was welcoming and went through everything we needed to know, (but was missing something about the breakfast, will say later).|As the hotel is open 24/7, you will need to use your room card,|1. To enter the hotel when the doors are closed, (I can't remember what time).|2. Using the elevator (to get to the floor of your room).|3. Finally get into your room.||Our room was on floor 9, in a standard twin with a sofa. The beds were pushed together ( which was ok. as it made like a super king-size bed 😊), plus we didn't know that the sofa was also a sofa bed (only found this out, after we came home).|The room was a perfect size. |The toilet 🚽, next to the front door.|The bathroom, umm well the sink area was near the bed, three steps away (that was ok, surprising, but ok). The shower🚿, is in an enclosed room (which was a good size), and is next to the bathroom sink area.|There is a good size tv, opposite the bed ☺. |There's a table, a sofa, and a fridge next to the couch.|Lots of plugs (plus there was a universal plug, for anyone who forgot theirs near the fridge), and USB plug points (on the bed frame).||Now back to the lobby.|Breakfast is next to the lobby area. Food and drinks nearby.|If you don't want to eat in the hotel, you can get a 500 yen breakfast token. Which you can use at some places on the Yaesu side. (Ask for more details), as we had to work it out ourselves.|Also, if you would like the tokens, please ask before 10 am. We just asked for all the tokens for our stay (9 days minus 2 days), as we were heading out early in the morning.||Laundry... umm now that was a problem. |Yes, it was great that there was a laundry area, but if you want washing and drying, then you might have problems (like we did). Washing was ok, but dry was a big no. The machines couldn't dry the washing. We tried after, just the dry setting and it still didn't dry. After the third, and chatting with two gentlemen having the very same problem. We called it quits and went back to our room with the 4 hangers, to hang up all the clothes 😔.||Oh, and there is zero noise bleed, either from the walls, floors, or doors. |Excellent for a Tokyo hotel 😊 , plus blackout curtains. Welcome to a peaceful sleep 😴.||So to wrap this up.|The hotel is in a great place, within walking distance from Tokyo Station, and bus links.|Best food on the Yaesu side.|Nice neighborhood to walk around.|Walking distance to the Imperial Palace. |Great staff (let you leave your luggage (secured), to collect later. As our flight was at 00.05 am. Thank you 🙇.||(Sorry for the very late post, was recovering from an...

Having recently stayed at the karaksa hotel TOKYO STATION, I can offer a first-hand review of my experience.Location, Location, Location: The standout feature of this hotel is undoubtedly its exceptional location. It's literally just across the road from Tokyo Station, making it incredibly convenient for anyone arriving or departing by train, including the Shinkansen. This proximity also provides easy access to the vast Tokyo Metro network, making exploring the city a breeze. I also appreciated the numerous shops and restaurants in the immediate vicinity and within the underground malls connected to the station. Even with luggage, the walk from the station was short and manageable.Room Comfort and Cleanliness: My room, a standard twin, was compact but efficiently designed. While not spacious, it was certainly adequate for two people and our luggage. I found it to be immaculately clean, which is always a top priority for me. The beds were comfortable, and I appreciated the inclusion of a universal adapter and USB-C charging ports by the bedside. The bathroom, while also on the smaller side, was modern and well-maintained, with a separate shower area which was a plus.Service and Staff: The staff were consistently friendly and helpful. From check-in to any inquiries I had, they were always polite and willing to assist. I was particularly impressed by their good English communication skills, which made everything very smooth. One staff member even provided me with a detailed map of Tokyo Station, which was incredibly useful for navigating such a large and complex hub.Facilities and Amenities: While the hotel doesn't boast extensive facilities like a large gym or pool, it does offer some thoughtful extras. The complimentary drinks and snacks available in the lobby from 10 am to midnight were a welcome touch, especially after a long day of sightseeing. They also had luggage storage available, which was convenient on my departure day. I also noticed they had umbrellas available to borrow, which would have been handy if...