&Here TOKYO UENO

Rooms are great for families

Nothing

Location and rooms and well apportioned for families

Nothing

We love the Ueno district and after many years of staying in various hotels in the area, we have finally found our kind of hotel: centrally located (opposite Ueno park), newly built (opened in 2024), modern design and fixtures (a nice blend of Western and Japanese elements) and most importantly, spacious rooms (at 21sq m this is much bigger than any we have stayed in before)! Despite the fact that it backs on to the nightclub and girlie clubs of Nakamachi-dori, our room was quiet and peaceful. Interestingly, our mattresses were on the floor japanese-style so getting to bed was an interesting challenge. Nevertheless, they were so comfortable and we slept very well on them! The bathroom was also of generous size with a shower space plus a bathtub - brilliant! Great water pressure and lots of hot water on demand. Everything is well thought out: a pull-down screen separating the sleeping area from the entrance/washing area, well-stocked amenities area downstairs, a spacious foyer with an umbrella drier, there is even a humidifier in our room which was very handy as we were in Tokyo in the midst of a typhoon. The staff were friendly and helpful, always ready with a smile. We originally stayed for 2 nights and decided to return after a week for another night and they remembered us, welcoming us like old friends. Best of all is it's location, everything is so walkable from the hotel. It is just a few steps across the road from the Lotus pond entrance of Ueno Park; there's a station just around the corner for the Chiyoda line (great line for Yoyogi Park and Ginza area); it's an easy 3-minute walk to the Keisei station (such a painless way to get to and from Narita Airport via the Skyliner Express) and a few minutes further is the JR Ueno station for everything else including the shinkansen to virtually everywhere in Japan. How good is that? and of course, the bustling Ameyoko markets is just a few blocks away - so good!

Breakfast! Simply awful, which is a shame considering all the outstanding features of this hotel. The quality, range and presentation of the dishes on offer did not match the high standards of the rest of the hotel. The eating area was cramped, dirty and crowded at most times as it is in the lobby with other guests not booked for breakfast also able to lounge about. We could hardly find any utensils. The coffee machine was often out of water or out of coffee! The pastries were dry and old, nothing tasted fresh. We paid for breakfast but in the end decided to go out and eat somewhere else instead.

The room had a nice Japanese feel, while being comfortable with full mattresses. The loft bed was a hit with my 12 year old. I appreciated the lighting around the bed which made it feel much warmer, and the little kitchen was handy. The room was pretty compact overall but I think that's typical for Tokyo. The area was great for getting around, there are 3 stations for different train lines within 5 mins walk. The staff were lovely too.

The rooms on the other side of the building would have a fantastic view over the park, but I'm assuming you pay more for that.