Although I know my way around Tokyo’s most-visited neighborhoods better than many other cities, part of the reason is because I try to stay in a different district each time. To wit, last month, I got to know Akihabara (aka Akiba) a bit better, and this month, it was Ueno’s turn. On that note, let’s check out the Nohga Hotel Ueno Tokyo.
Location
A short walk from the sprawling Ueno train station complex, it’s quite a convenient choice for travelers who are taking a variety of trains to get to the city. Ueno station is a bullet train base for routes towards Kanazawa/Tsuruga, Nagano, Niigata, and straight up north to Hakodate. Keisei has “express” and slightly less-express trains to Narita Airport, whereas Haneda Airport would require one transfer (usually at Shinagawa or Hamamatsucho). Tokyo Metro also serves it via the Ginza and Hibiya lines.
Ueno is also a shopping and dining hub, with department stores, convenience stores, and restaurants all over the place. When you need break from all of that conspicuous consumption, take an equally quick amble to Ueno Park, one of Tokyo’s more popular greenspaces, and home to a number of quality museums.
Finally, you can rent a bike to admire some of the weirder architectural specimens present in the seemingly endless metropolis.
Concept
Ueno and other areas in the vicinity were long known for having been the home of artisans. Nohga Hotel Ueno Tokyo often has events celebrating this history; recent events have included glassware paired with nihonshu tastings, silversmiths and dinner, and art lessons.
Moreover, textile works, and kamon, or family crests, can be found throughout the property.
Check-In
Fortunately, the front desk at the Nohga Hotel Ueno Tokyo is on the ground/1st floor; having check-in available anywhere but at the main entrance is a major pet peeve.
Directly opposite the front desk is Bistro NOHGA, the hotel’s restaurant; we’ll get to that place later.
Check-in was fast; don’t forget to check out the amenity area, in case you might have forgotten a toothbrush, razor, or cotton buds. It’s also where the hotel newsletter can be found; the newsletter contains staff recommendations of places to visit, as well as neighborhood news.
Oh, right, all guests will receive a token that can be redeemed for a welcome drink on the second floor.
It was cool to see that a Tokyo nihonshu (“sake”) brewery — one dating back to 1596 — was on tap.
The second floor is a hive of activity, since it is is home to the washer/dryer, 24-hour gym, outdoor terrace, and small seating area.
Additionally, there’s a stairwell leading from Bistro NOHGA to the second floor.
I find it odd that the two Tokyo Nohga hotels place a staircase right in the thick of their restaurants, but that design flaw is clearly not changing anytime soon.
Room
In total, the hotel has around 130 rooms with one suite, the Nohga Suite. Standard room types range from Doubles at 194 sq. ft. (18 sq. m.), to Deluxe Twins at 388 sq. ft. (36 sq. m.).
My room, a Corner Double, was immaculate, larger than expected, and had great air conditioning (those Tokyo summers are grueling). The bed was very comfortable, the Nespresso machine came in handy numerous times (I’m ashamed to say), and the shower pressure was good.
By the way, if you’re not so familiar with Ueno/Tokyo, or the hotel itself, you might want to take a look at the paraphernalia on the coffee table.
However, there was no desk. That’s not digital nomad friendly, let alone computer-friendly. Nevertheless, I improvised — I cleaned the rubbish bin holder, placed it atop the little coffee table, et voilà.
Furthermore, setting up the wake-up call is silly (I do these as a back-up for my phone alarm). You have to turn on the tv to do it (yes, there are other language options, too)–
Setting the alarm on the in-room phone would’ve sufficed, so why the agita with the tv?
Food
As noted earlier, Bistro NOGHA is the place to eat at the Nogha Hotel Ueno Tokyo, and there’s no room service.
The restaurant’s hours are:
Breakfast, 07-10
Lunch, 11:30-14
Tea/Coffee/Light Bites, 14-18
Dinner, 18-22:30 (last order is at 22)
Breakfast time…. the way it works is thus.
Order one of five different mains from the breakfast menu:
Then, head to the small but amply stocked buffet where you can grab salad, fruit, yogurt, juices, tea, coffee, bread, and/or pastries.
Seating is available both indoors and outdoors, but keep in mind that the property is entirely non-smoking.
Recently lacking vitamins and minerals, I created a salad mountain, and a pile of yogurt with pumpkin and almonds.
But the protein has to be there, too.
For the rest of my stay, I went with the bacon. Mmm, bacon’s difficult to resist; I made a sandwich with the cheese and freshly-baked bread to really have it off.
Summary
I had a pretty good stay at the Nohga Hotel Ueno Tokyo. The room — albeit lacking a practical desk — was quite welcoming after my hours-long hikes around Tokyo. Breakfast was fresh (then again, I was disappointed to see that some of the restaurant employees weren’t covering their mouths when coughing), the 2nd floor terrace and gym would be good breaks when the temperatures drops, and the laundry machines were a bonus.
Disclaimer: In exchange for a hosted stay, I have written this review.
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