A hotel in Tokyo

[Mutro]

If you’re a rail fan looking for a hotel to stay in Tokyo, consider the JR Hotel Metropolitan Marunouchi. The hotel sits above the Tokyo Station, convenient if arriving to /departing from NRT or Haneda, and if you ask for one of the Station View rooms, you’ll be able to watch the various Shinkansens (Tokaido, Joetsu, Hokuriku, Yamagata, Tohoku, Akita) and local trains (Yamanote, Chuo…) come and go… day and night. If you find this to be entertaining, you may never leave your room!  Bonus: a neat n gage layout in the lobby.

 

View from our 34th floor room

 

Edited May 24 by Mutro

[kuro68000]

What a great view. Do the windows open?

[Tony Galiani]

Now that's a room with a view!  I had stayed at the JR Hotel in Hokodate and it turned out to be pretty nice.  I would definitely consider JR Hotels for future trips.  And I guess they also have some trained themed items - the one in Hakodate did not have a train layout but had various train memorabilia in the lobby and in the viewing lounge on the top floor.

Tony

[Mutro]

Thanks. Good to know about JR Inn Hakodate as I’ll be staying there in a few days.  We’re currently staying in Kakunodate in a restored historic building Wanoi, a collaboration between JR East and local communities. All over Japan, too many of these vintage buildings are left vacant, abandoned, demolished.  Kudos to JR East for supporting local economy and preserving historical places of interest.

 

https://familio-folkloro.com/wa-no-i/kakunodate/

Edited May 26 by Mutro

[Mutro]

On 5/24/2024 at 7:43 PM, mojo said:

What a great view. Do the windows open?

Unfortunately, windows do not open in this 34th floor room so you may get reflections in photos out the window.  Operable windows in high rises are typically prohibited or severely limited in opening for safety concerns as well as for HVAC controls.

Edited May 26 by Mutro

[Tony Galiani]

@Mutro You can look at my reports of my February trip for some views from the JR hotel in Hakodate.  We lucked out and got a room overlooking the station tracks.  That is a north (more or less) view.  Rooms on the opposite south side have views of Mount Hakodate.

Ciao,

Tony

[JR East]

the Villa Fontaine Shiodome is also great for the view. 

[Mutro]

Ciao @Tony Galiani, I checked into the JR Inn Hakodate today and to my disappointment I was assigned the opposite view from the station.  From the 12th floor onsen overlooking the station, I can see that the station side is much more to my liking. 

[Tony Galiani]

That is disappointing.  Though, if they still do weekend fireworks, you would have a great view of them.  Hope you enjoy your time there. 

Ciao,

Tony

[ShaunField]

For a great budget business hotel with excellent views, I recommend Hotel City View Tabata. Has views of train lines from every room and the dining room is right at Shinkansen level. Only issue is there is there isn't step-free access from Tabata station, so it's not a good location if you can't carry your luggage up stairs.

[kuro68000]

The only downside with being near Tokyo station is the number of gaijin in the area. I always feel self conscious when I go there, like if one of them is talking loudly somehow I get tarred with the same brush!

 

The secret is to go in disguise as a Japanese person, with the biggest mask you can find. That way at a glance you won't be identified.

[cteno4]

I know the feeling. I’ve had experiences where I wanted to go around to all the Japanese someplace with a loud obnoxious gaijin and bow deeply apologizing for them.

 

jeff

[RS18U]

@mojo due to the number of gaijin we did not find it an issue.  That being said, we made sure we acted appropriately and with respect to the locals, we find that goes a long way to being lumped in with the shall we say, more exuberant types!