Hotel Mystays Asakusa

Hotel MyStays Asakusa occupies a nondescript, 10-story building, which shares its ground floor with an Indian restaurant. The hotel is spare and basic, and has a hostel-like atmosphere. Its reception area is one floor up from the street -- it's an attractive space, with wooden floors, white brick, colorful faux leather stools and pillows on the beige sofa, and a shelf displaying Japanese coffee-table books. The many windows let in plenty of light when the wooden blinds are up, contributing to an airy, open feel. The hotel draws budget-minded tourists across the spectrum, including couples, families, groups of friends, and solo travelers.

Hotel MyStays Asakusa is located in a mixed commercial and residential area, walking distance to the Kuramae subway station. There are a few restaurants nearby, as well as convenience stores, but this is not a very vibrant, or convenient, area. 

• 10-minute walk to Kuramae subway station 
• 12-minute walk to Edo-Tokyo Museum 
• 14-minute walk to Asakusa district 
• 15 minute walk to Senso-ji temple 
• 15 minutes to Ueno Park by public transportation
• 17 minutes to Tokyo Skytree by public transportation 
• 23 minutes to Tokyo station by public transportation
• 35 minutes to Tokyo Imperial Palace by public transportation
• 37 minutes to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden by public transportation
• 49 minutes to Meiji Shrine by public transportation
• 53 minutes to Tokyo Haneda International Airport by public transportation
• 61 minutes to Narita International Airport by public transportation (one-hour drive)

The 160 rooms at Hotel MyStays Asakusa have modern decor with a few colorful accents: brown-and-beige striped carpeting, lilac accent walls, pink-and-gray striped bed runners, and floral prints. All this serves to add a little warmth and personality to the rather basic and beige rooms.

As in many Tokyo hotels, rooms are small, but these are especially narrow. Standard Semi-Doubles, the smallest rooms, measure only 140 square feet, while the largest, the Deluxe Triples, are 269 square feet. Double beds are only 47 inches wide -- somewhere between a U.S. twin and double, and couples may find this a tight squeeze.

Rooms are well-equipped, with air-conditioning, kitchenettes, flat-screen TVs, work desks, and free Wi-Fi (but the signal can be shaky). Kitchenettes include mini-fridges, portable electric burners, microwaves, and electric kettles. Other extras include slippers, robes, toiletries, and hairdryers. 

The tiny, modular bathrooms have low ceilings and look prefabricated. They're fitted with small Japanese-style bathtubs and toilets, and some also include sinks. (Most rooms have positioned the sinks in the entryway.) Some rooms offer views of the Tokyo Skytree, while others look out on the walls of neighboring apartment buildings.

Past guests have complained about room wear and tear, including mold on the bathroom ceilings and peeling wallpaper. Daily housekeeping comes with a fee, but guests can request clean sheets and towels from the reception desk and extra toiletries, which are available in the lobby. 

As a basic budget property, Hotel MyStays Asakusa doesn't offer many extras. It rents bikes at no extra cost, and Wi-Fi is free throughout, although guests complain about an unreliable signal. The hotel has coin-operated laundry facilities, and guests can use a computer in the lobby for a fee. There are also vending machines selling drinks. Guests can rent trouser presses, cookware and cutlery, irons, DVD players, portable Wi-Fi routers, and cell-phone chargers at the front desk.