Centurion Hotel Grand Akasaka

Popular with price-conscious travelers, including families, couples, and groups of friends, the Centurion Hotel Granda Akasaka has an eccentric, but cheery vibe. The lobby is casual and bright, if over the top, and feels more like a quirky coffeeshop or even a hostel common area than a regular hotel lobby. There's an overabundance of decorative features, including paper parasols, framed traditional Japanese art prints, and huge fans, plus a pair of parakeets in a cage. The front desk has free lollypops and origami paper for guests. A small gift kiosk sells souvenirs, newspapers, and practical items such as umbrellas. On the other end of the lobby is a cafe featuring contemporary Japanese decor and an outdoor dining area with heat lamps, a rarity in Japan, surrounded by greenery and a decorative awning. While the area is primarily used as a breakfast space for hotel guests in the morning, it attracts plenty of locals, including businesspeople. Breakfast is also served at an annex across the street, a bright and energetic space that’s a take on a European cafe, with more outdoor seats that spill out onto a side street. Rooms are situated on floors 3-14, with additional rooms in an annex across the street. Each floor has its own accent color, plus swirly print carpeting and colorful Japanese prints on the walls. Each floor in the annex has decor dedicated to a different artist; for example, on the hallways on the Van Gogh floor are themed after Starry Night.

The hotel is located in the Akasaka neighborhood of Minato, a mixed business and residential area with plenty of bars, shops, restaurants, and embassies (including the U.S. Embassy, a 10-minute walk down the road). It's about a half-hour by car or metro to Ueno Park, home to such attractions as the Tokyo National Museum, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, the National Museum of Nature and Science, and the Le Corbusier-designed National Museum of Western Art. Narita International Airport takes about an hour and 10 minutes to reach via a combination of metro and Skyliner (via the Nippori Station). Haneda Airport takes around 40 minutes to reach via metro or 50 minutes on the Haneda-Airport Limousine Bus, which stops a few minutes' walk from the hotel.

Rooms at this hotel are located both in the main building and in an annex across the street. Categories range from Standard and Superior Single Rooms, which measure around 13 square meters (140 square feet), clear up to Twin Rooms that measure around 24 square meters (259 square feet) and can accommodate extra beds to sleep up to four guests. Accessible Rooms run around the same size, while Suites measure about 47 square meters (506 square feet) and can accommodate up to six people. Units in the main part of the hotel feel especially cozy and feature contemporary Japanese decor with some touches that make the otherwise value property look higher-end, such as traditional-style printed Japanese robes that match the headboards. Room decor in the annex building is more colorful than what's found in rooms in the main building, with bold printed carpets and mismatched patterns. However, all rooms have similar amenities that include large flat-screen TVs, desks with mirrors, safes, mini-fridges, kettles, slippers, and free Wi-Fi. Neutral bathrooms are well-lit, and all have bathtubs and removable showerheads, bidet toilets, toiletries, combs, toothbrushes, and hairdryers. Note that there have been complaints of room noise due to poor soundproofing. 

There are just a few features at this small budget hotel. The main feature is the lobby cafe in the main building, where a free buffet breakfast is served every morning. The spread includes a salad bar, eggs, cereal, juice, and coffee along with Japanese items such as miso and rice. Guests can dine at the restaurant or make a to-go plate to take back to their rooms. There’s no fitness center, but there is a men’s sauna, Sauna Resort Oriental, on the property. Women are given free passes to a public bath that's a three-minute walk away. The hotel also offers a laundry room with multiple washers and dryers, and valet laundry service is available. There are also vending machines and a microwave on the third floor, along with a lending library and a public laptop computer that guests can use free of charge in the lobby. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel.