One of the wonderful aspects of Japan, and Tokyo, in particular, is how tradition and history live side by side with the ultra-modern. No hotel expresses this symbiosis better than the Tokyo Gate Hotel, a very slick design hotel nestled in one of Tokyo’s oldest districts.
Located centrally in the throbbing heart of Asakusa, a mere minute’s walk from the famous Sensoji Temple and five from the Tokyo Skytree, The Gate Hotel Asakusa Kaminarimon is undoubtedly one of the most strategically located hotels in Tokyo.
Thus and although we only spent a single night here, our stay at the Tokyo Gate Hotel, during our second trip to Japan, was definitely a memorable experience.
ABOUT THE TOKYO GATE HOTEL KAMINARIMON
The 4 star Gate Hotel Kaminarimon was built in 2012 and was designed by the famed Japanese architect Shigeru Uchida. It features 136 boutique style guest rooms that range from premium suites to more modest rooms. All rooms, however, provide guests with a sense of intimacy & relaxation.
The hotel is part of the Design Hotels group. For a hotel to obtain membership it must have an interesting and unique style, as well as a high level of service. After spending the night in one of the hotel’s serene black bedrooms, we completely agree that it fully deserves this distinction.
The Tokyo Gate Hotel is pretty unique in that it offers a rare combination of value for money, in a convenient location close to one of Tokyo’s main tourist sights.
LOCATION OF THE TOKYO GATE HOTEL KAMINARIMON
The location of the Tokyo Gate Hotel has to be one of its biggest selling points. I realised that the Tokyo Gate hotel was well situated as soon as I looked it up on Google Maps. However, I never expected it to be looking straight down at the Sensoji temple (possibly one of the most famous Buddhist temples in Tokyo).
The hotel is located in Tokyo’s famous Asakusa district, home to Senso-ji Temple, as well as the iconic Kaminarimon gate and Nakamise shopping district.
Asakusa has a long and interesting history, and this is reflected in the sights and sounds of its streets. This was where Japan’s ordinary people lived, worked and played. You would not have found a Samurai or Lord anywhere near this district. Today Asakusa forms an important part of Tokyo’s tourist circuit. It still retains much of its traditional atmosphere, which makes it an exciting and authentic place to visit. You might not think that religion and hedonism would go well together, but in Asakusa, they combine in a marvellous way.
All of Asakusa’s attractions are literally on your doorstep and it shouldn’t take you longer than a minute on foot to reach them. Furthermore the Tokyo Skytree – which you will spot from the hotel lobby on the 13th floor – is about 15 minutes’ walk away and offers a panoramic view of the city.
The area is full of restaurants, so finding a place to eat shouldn’t be a problem unless you are particularly picky. Make sure to try some of the popular snacks on sale at Asakusa’s street market like Ningyo-yaki (traditionally baked doll cakes) or Daifuku (rice cakes) and Dango (sweet dumplings). There’s a supermarket just around the corner, as well as a 7-eleven a few minutes away, so you can easily stock up on snacks.
The hotel is situated in close proximity to Asakusa station (5 minutes’ walk) which has direct connections to many important points in the city as well as both airports. Your journey to/from an airport should take 40 minutes (Haneda) to an hour (Narita). Alternatively, there is a “water bus” station on the river nearby. This is perfect if you’d prefer to take a boat to your next destination instead of braving the crowds on the subway. Finally, the hotel’s Asakusa location is useful for a Nikko day trip, because Tobu trains depart from Asakusa Station.
CHECK-IN AT THE TOKYO GATE HOTEL KAMINARIMON
Feeling a little self-conscious (were we really in the right place?) I pressed the button for the top floor. As soon as we stepped out of the lift, Gary and I were mesmerized by the stunning view across Tokyo’s skyline from the hotel lobby. The Skytree felt close enough to touch.
The lobby of Tokyo Gate hotel is located on the 13th floor, whilst most of its rooms are laid out on the levels below. This is actually quite a common site in Tokyo, so don’t be surprised if you are greeted by elevator doors as soon as you make your way through the entrance of the building. This isn’t totally unwarranted, however, as the view of the Tokyo Skytree and the Sensoji Temple makes for a worthy backdrop when checking in.
Check-in itself was a breeze. Our suitcases were whisked away by one of the staff members before we even approached the reception desk. After asking us for our passport, the receptionist ensured we were indeed booked-in for the night, then proceeded by carefully explaining the contents of our welcome pack – two keycards, breakfast stubs for the duration of our stay as well as internet login details.
And that was it. We were told to make our way to our room on the twelfth floor.
INTERIOR OF THE TOKYO GATE HOTEL KAMINARIMON
Overall the interior design of the Tokyo Gate Hotel is rather minimalistic and very modern. However, there are many small design touches that completely distinguish this smaller boutique hotel from all the big branded ones.
Of course, the first thing you notice, as you enter the lobby, is the floor to ceiling glazing which affords the hotel with incredible views of Asakusa. Next, you’ll probably spot the aquamarine sofas, the individual abstract art on the walls and the spectacular light fixture hanging from the ceiling. The vast empty space only helps to emphasise the bold furnishing.
Then as you make your way through the corridors to your room, you will spot numerous paintings on the walls. You won’t, however, find any generic flowers and boring landscapes in this hotel. Each floor has a different colour scheme which goes a long way in helping guests orientate themselves in the building.
Finally, as you enter your room you will notice more individual paintings and a weird egg type light. Both help brighten up what is essentially a pretty dark room.
OUR ROOM AT THE TOKYO GATE HOTEL KAMINARIMON
Our room for the night was located on the 12th floor, just one floor below the lobby and the highest floor for hotel rooms. It was a twin room, as at the time of our booking, there didn’t seem to be any double rooms left.
First off I would like to mention that at 24sqm our “Classic Room” was relatively large when compared to the general standard hotel rooms in Japan and especially if you factor in its price per night. Over the entire duration of our stay, we never felt like we didn’t have enough space to move around or to store our luggage.
The interior was very sleek and just as modern/minimalistic as the hotel lobby. In contrast to most of the hotel rooms we frequented during our numerous trips to Japan, the walls, floor and furnishings were all of a dark colour palette. I actually really liked the design. It was simple yet rather tasteful and stylish.
To my amazement, the window of our room gave onto Tokyo Skytree. I could easily have spent a couple of hours in the comfortable lounger watching the lights of the tower sparkle in the night sky. A piece of abstract art hung on one of the walls whilst a large egg-shaped floor lamp sat on top of the black desk. Two sets of pyjamas had conveniently been placed on top of our bed.
As expected our room came with all the usual amenities – a kettle to make tea, a coffee machine, tea bags, two bottles of still mineral water, glasses and mugs. Furthermore there was also a flat screen TV and a mini fridge in our room.
The bathroom was pretty generous in size and separated into two distinct areas. The toilet and washbasin where located to the right and two the left of the glass partition screen was a rather large shower. This was the second time we came across this type of layout in Japan.
The shower room itself was to my surprise furnished with a Hansgrohe Rain Shower, as well as the typical Japanese stool and bucket.
Toiletries were also provided in copious amounts and included two toothbrushes, toothpaste, a razor, shaving gel, cotton pads, a hairbrush, some hairbands and a shower cap. A particularly nice touch however was the inclusion of a facial wash which typically only the very high end boutique hotels offer. The shampoo and shower gel were tea scented, which went down particularly well with Gary, the avid green tea drinker.
AMENITIES AT THE TOKYO GATE HOTEL KAMINARIMON
For such a small hotel, you might be surprised to hear that the Tokyo Gate Hotel has its very own restaurant. The R restaurant is a French bistro-style bar and also the space in which you enjoy breakfast in the morning.
Even more surprising perhaps is that the hotel’s signature restaurant offers a 24-hour service. The Gate Hotel only has 136 rooms, so you might think that there shouldn’t be enough demand to warrant such a service. However, the owners of this design hotel want their customers to feel comfortable from the moment that they arrive. And when you have travelled up to 20 hours in a plane, you’ll probably be pretty happy when you find out that you can order a gourmet meal at 12 pm or even 4 am in the morning without leaving the hotel.
Another highlight of the Gate Hotel is its rooftop terrace and B-Bar. The rooftop bar is for the exclusive use of hotel guests and opens from 6 a.m until midnight. So if you fancy admiring the Tokyo skyline which an alcoholic beverage in your hand, then you definitely can here.
You can access the 14th floor for free from the reception area. The first thing you will probably notice when you get up on the roof deck is the dramatic view of the Tokyo Sky Tree. We loved popping up to the terrace to soak in the views of Tokyo which were particularly atmospheric at sunset when the famous neon lights begin to light up the city.
Be warned though the bar easily gets overcrowded (it isn’t actually that big) and seating can be limited.
The hotel also has a concierge service which helps guests get the most out of their stay. You will even find English language newspapers in the lobby. Another feature which some people may find useful is the laptop hire, which costs a very affordable ¥1,000 per day (about 6-7£)
DINNER AT THE TOKYO GATE HOTEL KAMINARIMON
Since the hotel features it’s very own restaurant, we decided to have lunch there as soon as we had finished checking-in. The restaurant usually serves up French bistro-style food and so we decided to try out its four-course tasting menu.
This was definitely the right choice – every single course was delicious and made a welcome change from the Japanese food we had at this point eating almost too much off.
The taster menu allows you to pick from two choices for each course. As a starter, I was served a tofu salad, I then moved on to grilled pork for my main course, whilst Gary enjoyed a curry. We ate together with the hotel manager who opted for the Japanse burger.
BREAKFAST AT THE TOKYO GATE HOTEL KAMINARIMON
Our breakfast at the Gate Hotel definitely was one of the best ones we have had in Japan. I believe it is included free of charge in your stay at the hotel. Breakfast is served every day between 6:30 and 10:00 a.m. in the bar area on the 13th floor.
After finding our table and ordering a cup of coffee, we immediately made our way to the buffet table. Although the selection isn’t massive, it’s the quality of the dishes that makes it stand out from the rest. I was pleased to see that the Tokyo Gate Hotel puts particular emphasis on fresh ingredients, with stand-outs such as a full-sized honeycomb, organic vegetables and freshly pressed orange juice. Just ask one of the members of staff and they will make up a glass of juice for you on the spot. It doesn’t contain any additives and that’s exactly what makes it extra delicious. Of course, the buffet table also features some of the more traditional buffets items, such as cereal, fruit salad, yoghurt, croissants and various pastries.
You can also order from a menu of cooked-to-order dishes. During our stay that menu included scrambled eggs, eggs benedict and french toast. I chose the curry benedict (after being advised by a member of staff that it is one the most popular dishes) and Gary opted for the French toast (he has such a sweet tooth!). We were both more than satisfied with our choice. My eggs were immaculately prepared and topped with a rather unusual curry sauce. Yum!
FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT THE TOKYO GATE HOTEL KAMINARIMON
Choosing a Tokyo base? For the wider location decision, compare the Tokyo areas and hotels we actually stayed in in our where to stay in Tokyo guide.
We had a pretty fantastic stay at the Gate Hotel Kaminarimon. In fact, I am pretty sure that we will book this hotel next time we visit Tokyo.
It goes without saying that the location of this hotel could not be much better. It truly is an excellent base, whether you are planning to explore the many sites of Tokyo or you intend to head out on a day-trip. What we really loved about the Gate Hotel Kaminarimon is their focus on tasty healthy food.
Price wise I would class this hotel as mid-range. If you value space and would prefer an above average sized room, then the Gate Hotel Kaminarimon definitely offers good value for money.
Overall, this relatively new property is well-suited to the tourism boom that Tokyo (and Japan in general) is currently experiencing.
GATE HOTEL KAMINARIMON
2 Chome-16-11 Kaminarimon, Taitō,
Tokyo 111-0034, Japan
+81 3-5826-3877
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