Mitsui Garden Hotel Ueno — Hotel in Tokyo

The best thing about this hotel was its location—right next to Exit 1 of Ueno Metro Station and just a few minutes from JR Ueno Station and Keisei-Ueno Station, making it super convenient for traveling to different cities and the airport. It was also easy to reach various tourist spots using the Ginza Line. Plus, there was a FamilyMart right across the street, which was handy for snacks and essentials.

The hotel was also within walking distance of several tourist spots, including the Tokyo National Museum, Ueno Park, Ueno Zoo (though I wouldn’t recommend visiting due to poor animal welfare), and Ameyoko Shopping Street. There was an Ichiran outlet nearby, too! However, it can get super crowded, so I recommend going early or during off-peak times. I went at 10:30 AM and still waited about 15 minutes in line.

As for the hotel itself, the staff were very nice and accommodating. The cleaning staff were polite and always greeted me every morning. The room was spacious enough to fully open my luggage, which was a plus. The bed was soft and comfortable, with four pillows provided—unlike some hotels in Japan where I only got one pillow, lol.

The TV had advanced features, including smartphone and laptop mirroring, as well as access to Netflix, Disney Plus, and other streaming services. Just note that subscriptions aren’t included, so you’ll need to log into your existing accounts.

Overall, the room and bathroom were quite clean. However, I did notice a couple of short strands of hair on the upper bathroom tiles, which the cleaning staff may have missed. Additionally, the toilet had a slight odor at times.

One downside was the lifts. There were only two lifts, and they were slightly slow compared to other hotels. I usually had to wait at least a few minutes for the lift.

Amenities were average. There were only three washing machines in the entire hotel—one on each designated floor. I had no trouble using them, but I recommend doing laundry in the early evening before most guests return. Basic toiletries, such as toothbrushes and bath towels, were available in the lobby. However, unlike some other hotel chains, they didn’t offer free drinks or even tea bags.

In summary, I enjoyed my stay here and would consider staying again if I...

My wife and I stayed at this hotel for about a week, and during that period we've come to like it. Here's my lowdown:||What I Like:||- Nice location. It's near the Keisei Ueno station, the Shinkansen, and the JR, Ginza, and Hibiya lines so it's a great base. It's just across a convenience store to satiate those late night cravings. There are also some good shopping (Ameyoko, Marui, Yodabashi camera, Muji, Don Quixote) and OK restaurants (Atre, eCute, Ichiran) in the area. Plus Ueno park is a great place to just walk around.||- The room is slightly bigger than some Japan business hotels (I stayed at Hotel Ryumeikan at Yaesu in 2019).||- Room's air conditioning is awesome. We love cold rooms and this hotel delivered!||- There's a microwave and a vending machine on our floor! We love buying lots of food from the various stalls inside the Ueno station, taking it to the hotel, and trying them out. Having a microwave is awesome! ||- The staff are gracious and polite. They didn't fail to greet us when we meet them along the corridors or leave and enter the hotel. ||- They leave the day's supplies outside our door. We're still wary of letting people inside our room and having it "contaminated", but they made it work by leaving the day's supplies of bottled water, towels, coffee, tea, pajamas, slippers, and even trash bags in a nice bag outside our door.||What I Don't Like:||- Room is small. Even if I mentioned that the room is slightly bigger, it is still small especially by western standards. There's an option for a bigger one that I should've booked instead.||- Pillows. They have the Japanese-style pillows that are stuffed with buckwheat and not those big, fluffy ones. We had to ask for extra pillows just to get the right neck support...

My wife and I stayed at this hotel for about a week, and during that period we've come to like it. Here's my lowdown:||What I Like:||- Nice location. It's near the Keisei Ueno station, the Shinkansen, and the JR, Ginza, and Hibiya lines so it's a great base. It's just across a convenience store to satiate those late night cravings. There are also some good shopping (Ameyoko, Marui, Yodabashi camera, Muji, Don Quixote) and OK restaurants (Atre, eCute, Ichiran) in the area. Plus Ueno park is a great place to just walk around.||- The room is slightly bigger than some Japan business hotels (I stayed at Hotel Ryumeikan at Yaesu in 2019).||- Room's air conditioning is awesome. We love cold rooms and this hotel delivered!||- There's a microwave and a vending machine on our floor! We love buying lots of food from the various stalls inside the Ueno station, taking it to the hotel, and trying them out. Having a microwave is awesome! ||- The staff are gracious and polite. They didn't fail to greet us when we meet them along the corridors or leave and enter the hotel. ||- They leave the day's supplies outside our door. We're still wary of letting people inside our room and having it "contaminated", but they made it work by leaving the day's supplies of bottled water, towels, coffee, tea, pajamas, slippers, and even trash bags in a nice bag outside our door.||What I Don't Like:||- Room is small. Even if I mentioned that the room is slightly bigger, it is still small especially by western standards. There's an option for a bigger one that I should've booked instead.||- Pillows. They have the Japanese-style pillows that are stuffed with buckwheat and not those big, fluffy ones. We had to ask for extra pillows just to get the right neck support...