Mitsui Garden Hotel Ueno

Pros: The staff were very friendly and spoke English well. The room was comfortable, quiet, and clean. The location was fantastic; for my first time in Tokyo it was an easy train ride from the airport and I could see the hotel from the train station.

I enjoyed my two night stay at the Mitsui Garden Hotel. I took the train from Haneda Airport and wasn't sure which way to go once we reached Ueno Station. My mother insisted we take a taxi. The taxi driver laughed at us because the hotel is located just on the other side of the Station and we could have easily walked there via the sky bridge in about five minutes. Instead, we took the taxi for around 800 yen and he had to drive all the way around the block and stop at several red lights before reaching the hotel in about five minutes. The staff greeted us warmly and check-in was a breeze. Our room was spotless. They provide a built-in desk along the wall that had a window that looked out onto the busy intersection below. We enjoyed the street view from the 4th floor. Wifi was easy to use as the info was provided on the desk. I thought it was a nice bonus that the hotel provided a flat iron in addition to a hair dryer. They also provided an electric hot water kettle and small refrigerator. One of the best aspects of this hotels, in my opinion, is the location. It is in the Ueno/Taito neighborhood with easy access to Ueno JR Station as well as the Ueno subway station. In fact, the Ueno subway station entrance is only around 100 feet from the entrance of the hotel. Super convenient! Also, there is a nice coffee shop next door. The surrounding neighborhood located southwest of the hotel is full of tourist shops, inexpensive restaurants, and entertainment options, not to mention the O1O1 Marui department store. We checked out of the hotel one day earlier than originally booked, and the hotel staff was most accommodating and understanding. They even reversed the charge for the third night we had already paid for, even though we didn't give them 24 hours cancellation notice. Without a doubt I will stay here again when I return to Tokyo. The quality of the hotel, the staff, and location are all excellent and of good value.

Pros: The location and the staff are excellent. The bed was comfy as well.

Cons: I would have like more space to open up my large suit case. There aren't any comfy chairs for relaxing, either. But these 'issues' are typical for hotels in Japan, so not a serious negative.