The Royal Park Canvas Ginza 8 — Hotel in Tokyo

Some positives and negatives from my recent two night stay at the Royal Park Canvas Ginza 8. I’ll start with the negatives:

Negatives: Room Size: I had heard rumors of Japanese hotel rooms being smaller than American ones but this really brought that rumor home. We had been in Japan for just under two weeks at this point so we had a bit of luggage but everywhere else we stayed throughout our journey had plenty of space to move around despite the bag amount. This was not the case at the RPCG8. We could barely move in our own room given the size and it made for a very uncomfortable last two nights in Japan. Natural Light/View: When paying $400+ per night I’d anticipate at least some sort of natural light in a room. We had none. We pulled up the blinds to see a wall a foot away from our window, making it feel as though we were living in a small dungeon within the hotel. When we inquired further, the staff mentioned that “that’s what we paid for” and that there was nothing they could do to alter the situation. Super disappointing given the high price point and the fact that this room had been booked 3+ months in advance. Room Basics: The bed mattress was hard, the bed size (I’m 6” 2’) wasn’t big enough and the pillows weren’t of the standard you’d expect with a hotel matching the price point mentioned earlier. Towels were cheap as well and there was no mini bar. You also had to grab any extra amenities in the lobby when all other hotels in Japan had them in each room (I.e. brush, toothbrush, etc.) Staff: Although courteous at check-in, the staff failed to give basic guidance on the room itself. There were dials next to each bed that you had to turn in order to turn off the lights in our room that we wouldn’t have known about had I not called. There was also a random button that allowed the sole TV in the room to appear from that we had to figure out on our own as upon entering, you’d have no clue there was even a TV available. Felt like these were things that staff could have explained better at check-in to make our experience more seamless.

Positives: Their team was able to store our luggage for a week while we traveled throughout Japan which was immensely helpful and didn’t require us to have to pay to store it elsewhere. Based on the negative experience we had, their Manager did give us 2 small muffins to make up for it after I mentioned disappointment with total room size, natural light/view and price paid per night. Location: You’re essentially one block away from the main shopping area of Ginza. If you care solely about location and not so much about hotel quality then this is the place for you.

Overall: There are much better hotels in Ginza to stay in than the Royal Park Canvas Ginza 8. If I could go back in time, I would have shelled out a couple hundred dollars more a night to stay at a Marriott property or something similar in Ginza with adequate room size and amenities versus spending $400+ per night to stay...

Stayed here during early April for 4 nights in a twin B room. B room is with 3 beds. The size of the room is standard for Tokyo. I would suggest going for the deluxe room which offered a bit more space. The best thing about this hotel is the location. 10seconds walk and you are in the luxury Ginza shopping street. The included breakfast is OK but I probably wouldn't pay for it. Only 1 drink allowed. The service is reasonable and inconsistent. Our luggage were sent and received by the hotel few days prior to our arrival. The check in lady insist there is no record on their system to confirm arrival but her other colleague ( a helpful young man) who overheard our conversation went to the luggage room and brought them out for us ( needless to say the Airtag also confirmed the location). Yes. No apologies from the lady. No acknowledgement of mistake. Imagined if the other guy wasnt there ? It is common in Japan to use luggage delivery service while travelling in Japan. I had seen similar issue being mentioned on other post. The location is very closed to Shimbashi and Ginza Line. From there you can get direct metro to Shinjuku, Shibaya , Asakusa. On weekend, the main street is open only to pedestrian. Both the tube station are walkable for those who enjoy walking. It take less than 10 mins if you don't stop at the shops.( Believe me you will). I didn't use the IC card. I only buy the metro tickets at the station before travel. Choose English and select your location. Very self explanatory. The only thing to bare in mind is that there are a lot of exit from the station. Do use Google Map and use the exit as suggested. Internet works well in the metro. The taxi is not unreasonable and the drivers are honest. I use a few times and the rate are 100% within the price suggested by UBER. There are 3 local restaurants nearby. No English menu and use by local. One seve freshly made soba noodles. It is about 500 Yen with free water. If you go for the 700 Yen option, it tend to come with rice and noodle. Do avoid lunch or dinner time when lots of local waiting. Overall Ginza is a safe and nice area to stay. Very much prefer here than the busy Shinjuku or Shinbuya. It's a good boutique hotel albeit service is inconsistent.

There are lots of convenient store nearby including 7 Eleven. All 7 Eleven has their own ATM machine ( can be hidden but ask the staff). It is good in getting YEN and it will accept international debit or credit card. The rate is good and fees is displayed before...

Located around 10 minutes walk away from Shimbashi train station, opposite Mont Blanc. Also, around 5 mins walk from the shopping area at Ginza. Do note that the main entrance is not very prominent, especially when you check-in in the evening. There’s a family mart just across. ||For breakfast, it comes in a set menu, there’s choice of either Japanese (rice, miso soup, grilled fish, side dishes, salad, omelette, braised root veg and chicken, Western (scrambled egg, mini croissants, thick toast, sausage, thick bacon, salad and vegetarian. It comes with a drink of your choice too. There’s a choice of indoor or outdoor seating. However, as we stayed 4 nights we observed that the sides are the same everyday. The restaurant is not very crowded for the 3 days that we had breakfast.||Both reception and restaurant staff are very pleasant. The reception staff are also very helpful and gave us directions when we ask for recommendations for a late dinner. ||There’s an also a lounge area at level 2 with some sofa seats, desks where you can people watch or catch up on some work. There’s ice, microwave and oven available. There is also a small gym at this level. ||We stayed at the standard double room. The basin area is located just beside the bed. There’s pros and cons for this layout. Shower and toilet bowl area are also segregated. You have to get out of the bathroom to use the basin but if there are more than one person staying in the room, it saves time as one can brush teeth while the other shower. Shampoo, conditioner and body wash are available in the room. There’s also a kettle for boiling water and hair dryer too. Housekeeping is available everyday. Basic amenities like comb, hair tie, tea, coffee, toothbrush/ toothpaste can be picked up at the reception area. It can be abit tight to open 2 luggages at the same time but it’s doable. Free size pyjamas is also available in the room. ||In summary, it’s recommended if you are looking for a comfortable hotel at a convenient location. Appreciated the peace during breakfast. Bathroom is also of a decent size. If there is something that can be improved, it would be the lack of wardrobe space, insufficient hanging space in the bathroom and lack of variety in sides for breakfast. Other than these, the hotel is really a good choice for a...