This article is based on a visit made on 12 November 2016.
Edit 2 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.
Previously on Sekai Ichi, I finally arrived at my first destination of
Akihabara, in Tokyo. Why did I choose Akiba over all of Tokyo's many other districts? Believe it or not, it wasn't because of my obsessive love of Japan's anime and gaming sub-cultures. ...Well, not just because of them, anyway. It also happens that Akihabara was a convenient base for taking public transportation to the places I wished to visit on my trip, and there was a hotel there which met all my requirements. It was close to the train stations I would be using frequently, featured a contemporary style which was relevant to my tastes, and was priced comfortably within my budget. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the Remm Akihabara (レム秋葉原, Remu Akihabara).
The Remm Akihabara is part of a small chain, owned by the Hankyu-Hanshin Holdings corporation, with additional branches in Tokyo (Hibiya and Roppongi), Osaka, and Kagoshima. As you can see, I didn't have to go far upon arriving at Akihabara station to check in. The hotel occupies the tower seen in the centre of this picture. It stands directly adjacent to the station, also seen here.
Across from the hotel entrance, you will see this building. It's partially obscured by the trees here, but a large calendar and clock display is situated above the entrance to various restaurants. There is also a FamilyMart convenience store right next to it.
This is the street entrance to the hotel. It takes you to an elevator which leads directly to the lobby on the 6th floor. The hotel can also be accessed by elevators from the Akiba Tolim mall below, to the right of the street entrance.
The single room I stayed in measured a snug 14.3 m² (154 ft²), which was just barely enough for a solo traveller like myself. Couples (who aren't very, very close with each other) may want to upgrade to a twin room. Still, the bed was roomy, at a width of 140 cm (55 in). There was a massage chair in the back corner, but I couldn't figure out how to operate it, so I just used it to hang my clothes on.
The bathroom extends the modernist theme with its use of white porcelain, chrome trim, and glass. Its most notable feature is its "rain shower", where the water falls straight down from a head embedded in the ceiling. There is also a hand-held showerhead which can be mounted on the wall if you prefer.
Amenities in these hotel rooms include a safe, a mini-fridge, and even a cell-phone charger, compatible with many types of power ports! However, this particular one was a little flimsy, in that it didn't always stay plugged in for very long.
The leaflet seen in this picture is an advertisement for breakfast at the Portal Cafe restaurant, in the mall below this hotel. Breakfast is served as a buffet, with a variety of Western and Japanese-style items. Hotel guests may buy entry for a discounted rate of ¥1,400; to get yours, buy it from the concierge desk on the 6th floor.
Finally, some views from the 13th floor. (
What is it with me and getting hotel rooms on unlucky-numbered floors?) This one, taken from my room, shows the morning sun waking up the electronics stores on Chuo-dori.
And this one, taken from the elevator lobby on the same floor, offered a view of the train tracks running to the south, towards Tokyo Station. I even managed to snap a shot of a
Hayabusa + Komachi Shinkansen service -- which, for the record, are my favourite trains ever. Maybe some day I'll actually ride one of them...
Remm Akihabara
Address: Akiba Tolim 6F, 1-6-5 Kanda Sakuma-chō, Chiyoda-ku, Tōkyō-to 〒101-0025
Access: Remm Akihabara Akihabara is adjacent to Akihabara Station (JR Yamanote
(JY), Keihin-Tohoku
(JK), Chuo-Sobu
(JB), Tokyo Metro Hibiya
(H), and Tsukuba Express
(TX) lines).
Directions: From Akihabara Station, turn right out of the Central ticket gates, and continue straight, cross Chuo-dori, and take the next right afterwards. The direct entrance to Remm Akihabara will be on your right.
Website:
(English) (Japanese)
