Although it’s a mere mile away from Hotel Niwa Tokyo, if you want to submit to the craziness of a vast metropolis, then you should consider the Nohga Hotel Akihabara Tokyo.
Location
Right in the heart of Akihabara, aka Akiba (Tokyo’s primary electronics and otaku district), this stylish hotel is very close to Akihabara’s eponymous JR, metro, and Tsukuba Express station, and Suehirocho metro station. If you’re a foodie, it’s also an under-10 minute amble from Amanoya, possibly the oldest existing amazake producer in Tokyo.
Hotel Theme
Knowing that the property is in the heart of tech. shopping and DIY projects, audiophiles in particular might be amused. There are a variety of speakers throughout the hotel; even the check-in desk has a giant speaker hidden within. DJs regularly perform on the ground floor, and just because it’s on my mind, check out this room:
That’s the token gaming cave, which obviously speaks to video/PC gamers, but also to music fans.
And because those games can last hours and hours, the gaming cave minifridge has a specific drink in mind:
Check-in
The lobby is on the second floor, just above the hotel’s bar and restaurant. Whereas there is conveniently a stairwell leading up to the lobby, the elevator is perhaps the biggest negative at this hotel. For whatever reason, it is basically inside of the restaurant. Have a lot of bags, but checking-in during meal time? Have fun with that. Furthermore, for some security theater, both lifts stop on the 2nd floor, i.e. at the lobby level. Just let me walk up and down to my room, Japan.
In any event, front desk staff were all nice, and eager to help.
There was a hint of confusion about my check-in date, so while no other non-staff member was around, I took a video of the lobby level:
As terrible as I am at foosball, it’s still neat to see that it’s showcased. Moreover, for hotel guests bicycles are available to rent.
Per the video, there are some tea sets on sale, area guides relevant to the three current Nohga properties (Akihabara, Ueno, Kyoto), and staff recommendations for eating, shopping, and more.
Oh, right, are you a gashapon fan? All guests get a coin to try their hand at the ever-popular hotel-branded capsule toy machine.
Right around the corner from the lobby are the hotel gym, and a terrace.
Room
In total, there are 120 rooms at the Nohga Hotel Akihabara Tokyo.
My room was in the standard double category, a room punctuated by its Geneva Bluetooth speakers. Other rooms have such speaker brands as iFi-Audio, Bang & Olufsen, and Taguchi; all are Bluetooth.
To further emphasize the hotel’s music theme, the usual Do Not Disturb and Please Clean placards are represented by vinyl records:
Since I listen to music on a daily basis, I was digging the in-room sound system. The bed was comfy — something I’ve found to be consistent throughout Japan, the shower excellent, and the desk was adequate for getting some work done.
Food
Even before my stay, I had passed by the Nohga Hotel Tokyo Akihabara a number of times, and each time its restaurant and bar seemed to be a hit.
Particularly, the restaurant/bar, called Pizzeria & Bar NOHGA, is locally known for its wood-fired pizzas, focacce (ok, focaccia is the singular), and not coincidentally a menu borrowing from Italy and Spain.
Even though pizza wasn’t served at breakfast (I would’ve had no problem with it), I was told by hotel personnel to try the oven-baked focaccia. Funny that…breakfast offered tomatoes and mozzarella, but pizza? Too early, I guess.
Unlike Hotel Niwa Tokyo, given the neighborhood, this one caters to a younger, mostly child-free crowd. That meant I didn’t really have to wake up so early to get this patron-free video of the buffet:
Don’t forget to order a main dish from the table menu; my salmon with bacon and chipolata was a hit.
Conclusion
Nohga Hotel Tokyo Akihabara worked out quite well. As much as I didn’t like anything about the elevator, that was small potatoes when compared with my overall stay. Cordial front desk employees, good eats, and a musically-inclined atmosphere kept me going.
I should note that as someone well-familiar with Tokyo, there are a number of areas where I actively avoid spending much time. Akiba is typically one of them, in spite of having walked through it on many occasions.
However, my train trip from Narita Airport to the hotel was too easy. Hop on the Keisei Main Line to Keisei Funabashi, walk a few minutes, then sprint aboard the Chuo-Sobu to Akihabara.
Ordinarily, I like to try to stay near the Asakusa Line, which has some trains that connect both Narita and Haneda. But this connection, especially not during rush hour, was simple.
Disclaimer: In exchange for a hosted stay, I have written this review.
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