the b akasaka-mitsuke — Hotel in Tokyo

This was my first time staying at this hotel during my trip to Japan, and I would like to share some objective feedback that may help the hotel improve its services for future guests.

The lobby and elevator areas of the hotel were acceptable, but the cleanliness in the guest room was only average. Upon check-in, I noticed black particles on the bedding, the toilet paper holder in the bathroom was dusty and appeared yellowed and worn, and the TV remote control was quite dusty and sticky.

Breakfast is served at a partner café with vouchers. On two occasions, the vegetables provided were not fresh—the edges of the leaves showed signs of yellowing and browning.

While picking up breakfast at the café, I observed some unequal treatment by a staff member. Although it was understandable that we had to collect our trays using a buzzer, the staff member, who stared at us with an impatient “smile” and raised her voice while twice urging us to leave the pickup area quickly, came across as rather rude. In contrast, another guest’s tray was personally brought to their table by the staff. We didn't report this to the manager due to tight schedule, only quietly observing this while having our breakfast, but it definitely left us a negative point.

Although local hotel regulations do not require fixed phones in guest rooms, and each floor has a fixed phone by the elevator limited to front desk calls, as a visitor in Japan, not having a phone in the room to contact the outside in case of emergency feels a bit unsafe.

On one occasion, I noticed front desk staff chatting and laughing when no guests were around during business hours, and laughter from the staff break room could be heard in the lobby. Perhaps mid-range business hotels have different service standards from high-end ones, but I feel staff should stay focused during working hours. At least casual chatting and laughing should be kept for breaks or off-duty time. The front desk is the face of the hotel, and the impression it gives reflects the hotel itself. No hotel wants to be seen as careless or unprofessional—especially in Japan, a country famous for its exceptional service and professionalism.

Occasionally, I saw children lying thoroughly on the lobby sofas without taking off their shoes, and neither their guardians nor the front desk staff intervened. This was unpleasant to see.

The hotel’s location is excellent, but this should not lead to complacency. While the price is moderate—not cheap but not expensive either—the quality of service and facilities should match the mid-range price. I hope this feedback can provide...

I was met with very friendly staff, I arrived at 9am, my room wouldn’t be available until the afternoon. The staff stored my luggage safely pointed me to a free coffee machine (all day, comp doughnuts available later in day), a toilet to use. Then I was free to explore for a few hours.

I had a room with one double bed, was traveling alone. It’s a decent enough space for a solo traveller but would feel a little cramped with 2. This is not uncommon for a Tokyo hotel or Japan in general, as stayed in 4 hotels and they were all a similar size.

The room has nice amenities, bed was comfy, smart tv, decent shower, smart Japanese toilet with heated seats etc. Shower gel, toothbrush with tooth paste all supplied and a small fridge for drinks also.

The room was extremely clean on arrival and cleaned on the day I was out. Bed made and bin emptied.

The location is really good as it has access to a couple of different underground lines, so you can access different areas of the city easily. Airports a bit trickier, but access to Akasuka, Shinjinku, Shibuya, Ginza all a couple of stops away. The area itself, has plenty of lunch time places, combi stores nearby. There is also a shrine and some little parks within walking distance to see for a bit of quiet time. The area wakes up a bit more early evening, there are a few Western style bars, local bars and more restaurants opening from 5pm.

Where it’s not as busy as a few of the tourist central places I mentioned you could get to, I managed to sleep no problems.

Would stay...

We stayed at the b Akasaka-Mitsuke between 22 to 26 APR.I would like to thank Jeff for his wonderful assistance and hospitality. He assisted us with all our enquiries (airport transfer in the morning, luggage concerns, dinner reservations), and ensured that we felt assured & looked after. He must be a great asset to the company as he works diligently, is forthcoming, communicates with ease, and treated us with empathy. The room was an appropriate size for two of us, despite having 3 large luggages and 3 smaller cabin bags. The air conditioning worked perfectly, the showers were strong, the sheets were clean, and the window had an appropriate light shield. The mini fridge would gather water over time, but since we were there for only 4 nights, there was no issue of leaking. The hotel is located within a drinking/restaurant district with a handful of accessible convenience shops (Lawsons, Don Quijote, supermarket). Many yummy restaurants around. Beware that there will be significant amount of drinking in the vicinity after work-hours. If you wish to be around locals (salarymen & women), and away from a heavily touristic site: this area would be great. In terms of romance, perhaps a few notches down. Regardless, it was a very interesting place to witness, and tourist-friendly too. Would stay there again in future if I am...