Travel (and Dine) in Style without Breaking Your Wallet!

Published: May 31, 2017

Thinking about a weekend trip to Tokyo?

 

When visiting a large city, the topic of “where to stay” can be downright daunting, and finding a hotel that has the right quality and comfort level on a budget is a tough quest.

 

Enter Hotel East 21 Tokyo, a towering presence in the heart of Koto City near Toyocho Station.

 

The gorgeous setup of the lobby might make most people wary from peeking at the price tag…

 

 

But let us not forget that we are in the “shitamachi” (old-town) part of Tokyo, where affordability is a non-negotiable must. Here, both the rooms and the dining facilities (cafés, bakeries and restaurants open to the public) show an amazing level of generosity without sacrificing quality!

 

 

Let’s go check out the rooms.
First happy surprise: the check-in form was perfectly bilingual with a Japanese side and an English side—very helpful. (Don’t forget your passport!)

 

 

And it goes without saying that they have a variety of rooms sized to fit your budget and needs. If travelling in a group, the hotel suggests booking the spacious Deluxe Family Room. Aside from the two beds, there is a pull-out sofa bed and an extra single-sized bed can be added.

 

 

Second happy surprise: complementary bottled water!

 

 

Under the cupboard were the usual electric amenities… And happy surprise #3: some plates and cutlery!

 

“Since the hotel is located right next to a shopping plaza complete with a grocery store, restaurants, pharmacy, and of course convenience stores, the plates are for those days when you’d rather bring food back to the room for your meals,” explains the staff. How thoughtful!

(*The contents of the mini fridge are also available for an extra charge.)

 

 

The capacious bathroom features a separate shower and counter area, so there’s no need to fight over who’s taking too long in the morning…

 

 

They even had the cutest toothbrushes!

“We wanted to make the stay more fun for children.”

 

I think even adults would be delighted to find these, actually♪
(I’m going to stop counting the happy surprises now, because the entire establishment is absolutely delightful.)

 

 

Bonus: on a clear day, you can get a gorgeous view of the Tokyo Skytree from the room. Can you imagine how refreshing it would feel to wake up to this view?

 

I bet the cityscape also looks brilliant at night. You can enjoy this clear panorama from the restaurant on the top floor too, making it a perfect pick for those special evenings.

 

 

Coming back down to the lobby, I spotted a handy international currency exchange machine near the exit…

 

 

Right next to a souvenir token machine that makes elongated coins depicting symbolic scenes from Koto City! Wow, I used to love collecting these as a child (*^^*)

 

So, from check-in to check-out, Hotel East 21 Tokyo has got you covered.

 

 

But for those who live nearby already, the hotel also functions as an elegant tearoom/bar. After all, we all deserve to treat ourselves once in a while ;).

 

 

Afternoon tea, anyone?

 

 

※Please be aware that hotel prices may fluctuate depending on the season and other variables. More information is available on the Hotel East 21 website listed in the description below.

 

Story by Xianru Shen （Koto City Office Coordinator for International Relations）