lyf Ginza Tokyo — Hotel in Tokyo

A cozy and clean stay in a convenient location! The hotel has a modern and young feel to it, with a bit of a global vibe.

Took a risk in booking a two week stay at lyf Ginza a few days after their grand opening. Was not disappointed!

Room: Got the Big Bed room, which I believe is the more basic one for 2 people. The more pricey room is called One of a Kind and it has underbed storage for luggage and a desk.

It was super clean, compact, brand new, and had essentials such as hangers, room slippers, yukatas, fabric refresh spray, cups, small spoons, a safe, hair dryer, mini fridge and shoehorn. Toiletries such as razors, toothbrushes, and combs available in the lobby.

Cleaning service was very meticulous. The shower was spotless everytime.

Some small nits: sometimes the smell of charcoal smoke came in through the room, maybe from the neighboring izakaya. And the smoke detector light above the bed is prettty strong so sleeping with that took some getting used to. Also fyi, the mattress was very firm and the pillows were very soft.

Hotel amenities: On the second floor there’s a shared kitchen which has utensils and cooking equipment. There’s also a cold/hot water machine. This becomes pretty useful especially when buying food from conbinis. The laundry machines were great - they wash and dry in the same machine and automatically dispense laundry soap. There’s also a drink vending machine. The large shared work area includes some privacy booth style desks. The small gym has a cool boxing setup, with boxing gloves available for rent. On the first floor is where breakfast and drinks are served.

Service: The lyf employees were so cheerful and helpful. The elevator stops on the second floor no matter what and when the elevator doors opened, those at the front desk greeted us whenever they had the chance. They are also fluent in English which was very helpful. They can call a taxi if needed and also do luggage storage for guests.

Location: Great! Around the corner from Kyobashi Station and within walking distance to Tokyo Station and Ginza Station. You can get around Tokyo very easily and quickly. There’s also several 7-11s nearby. The area felt very safe and clean as well, as it’s by many large businesses.

Overall the vibe of this hotel was very fresh and warm. The staff plus the location and convenient amenities made our stay...

The hotel is falsely advertised. It was the worst stay I've had anywhere in the world. The main reason is, the hotel advertises it has Air Conditioning. The problem is, the Air Con system is centrally set. Meaning if the building is currently set to heating mode, you CANNOT TURN ON YOUR AIR CON. Same as the opposite case, if the building is set to cooling, you CANNOT TURN ON YOUR HEATER. On my visit, I was sweating and so hot I couldn't sleep, only to talk to reception and find out there is no way to switch the aircon on. The staff offered a completely unreasonable solution which was to open the safety-windows. These windows only have 1 key which is kept at all times at reception. The moment I borrow the key to open the window, the rain poured in which wet the bed which is right against the window (the room size makes it impossible to move the bed). The hotel suggested that I close the window if it rains but this is a ridiculous proposal. Do you expect guests to get up at 3am in the morning when the rain starts to walk to reception, get a key and close the window, then 5am when rain stop, wake up again and go get the key and open it again?

I got pretty much no sleep. That night I immediately inquired about refund or moving, except there is no manager on duty. It took a whole another day before the manager got involved, by then they argued I had already stayed 2 nights. I ended up arguing with the hotel which at first were adamant about no refund policy, but in the end due to their false advertising they agreed to refund me partially. I still ended up having to pay for an extra night for no reason (as the hotel spent the day arguing with me). I promptly packed my stuff, copped the loss and paid for the empty room for the night and moved elsewhere. What an joke of a hotel, completely unreasonable on their refund policy and an archaic air-con system (I have never seen any other hotel like this in the world).

Other issues with this hotel were: dirty, incredibly small rooms (as I was checking in, another random guest in the elevator warned me before I reached my room, it really is that small), room space is poorly utilised, shower is lower than any other Japanese hotel - roughly 2 meter height. If you are a taller man, this shower is claustrophobic...

The hotel is falsely advertised. It was the worst stay I've had anywhere in the world.The main reason is, the hotel advertises it has Air Conditioning. The problem is, the Air Con system is centrally set. Meaning if the building is currently set to heating mode, you CANNOT TURN ON YOUR AIR CON. Same as the opposite case, if the building is set to cooling, you CANNOT TURN ON YOUR HEATER.On my visit, I was sweating and so hot I couldn't sleep, only to talk to reception and find out there is no way to switch the aircon on. The staff offered a completely unreasonable solution which was to open the safety-windows. These windows only have 1 key which is kept at all times at reception. The moment I borrow the key to open the window, the rain poured in which wet the bed which is right against the window (the room size makes it impossible to move the bed). The hotel suggested that I close the window if it rains but this is a ridiculous proposal. Do you expect guests to get up at 3am in the morning when the rain starts to walk to reception, get a key and close the window, then 5am when rain stop, wake up again and go get the key and open it again?I got pretty much no sleep. That night I immediately inquired about refund or moving, except there is no manager on duty. It took a whole another day before the manager got involved, by then they argued I had already stayed 2 nights. I ended up arguing with the hotel which at first were adamant about no refund policy, but in the end due to their false advertising they agreed to refund me partially. I still ended up having to pay for an extra night for no reason (as the hotel spent the day arguing with me). I promptly packed my stuff, copped the loss and paid for the empty room for the night and moved elsewhere. What an joke of a hotel, completely unreasonable on their refund policy and an archaic air-con system (I have never seen any other hotel like this in the world).Other issues with this hotel were: dirty, incredibly small rooms (as I was checking in, another random guest in the elevator warned me before I reached my room, it really is that small), room space is poorly utilised, shower is lower than any other Japanese hotel - roughly 2 meter height. If you are a taller man, this shower is claustrophobic...