tkey75

I've owed this trip report from the new CY Tokyo Station for a few weeks. Here goes:

Stayed there for three nights last month over a long weekend. It's still got that new hotel smell. I apologize for no pictures.

I'd classify this as a standard business hotel. The entire experience is nothing to write home about. Finding the hotel was the first trick. It's near Tokyo Station, but not easily findable. Asking about, I finally got directions to leave the mall from exit 28 (and finally figured out to leave up the left stairs) make an immediate right out of the stairs and it's a block and a half on the right side of the street. The sign for the hotel is very small and you will not see it until you are right at it. In subsequent walks to/from the hotel, I exited the main Yaesu entrance/exit of the station, walk a few blocks away from Tokyo Station, make a right onto Kyobashi when you pass the 7-Eleven and Family Mart (which are on the left) and the hotel on the right in a block and a half. It's a solid 10-15 minute walk. More convenient for getting elsewhere in Tokyo, the Kyobashi stop (Toei, not Metro, if it make s a difference) is less then a block from the hotel front door. Make a right coming out of the hotel and you'll run right in to it. Note which entrance you go into to avoid getting lost when returning. I apologize those directions are vague and suck. Once you find it the first time it gets easier.

The entrance is into an office building. Take the elevator to the fourth floor to check in. The front desk staff were nice enough, but I still feel there's some growing pains as they are new. I expect they'll work out their flow soon enough, if not by now. As plat, I was upgraded to a king room on the second floor. Yes, the guest rooms are on floors two and three, on the floors below the lobby. I was a bit confused by this and upon asking if those were the only floors with guest rooms, this gaijin was not understood. As an aside, the lobby is nice with plenty of room to lounge about, but I can't imagine a reason to go there unless to check in or out.

There is an entrance hallway leading to the guestroom hallways which requires a key to access. The key frustratingly did not work on the first, second or seventh try most of the time. The same key also gains access to the front door of the building after hours. I'd be worried that my lack of Japanese would be a major hassle if I had to ring the bell for access if I lost my key.

The upgraded king room was quite small. Really, just enough room for a king bed, a desk and a foot or two to walk around them. Being on the second floor, there was no view to speak of at all except for the sidewalk a floor below, so I kept the window shades closed the entire time. The bathroom was equally as cramped, though clean.

Breakfast was in the restaurant on the ground floor. 100% standard American breakfast. I was disappointed there was no Japanese option, though the breakfast I had was not terrible. The same restaurant serves dinner/drinks later in the day, also western style food. I did not partake.

I have stayed in similar business hotels for much less money. Unless I needed the quasi-convenient location, I'd not stay there again.