After seeing a post about Book And Bed Tokyo on Instagram, we decided to stay there for a night before continuing to Kusatsu Onsen. Originally we thought it’d be an interesting experience to stay the night at a capsule hotel, however, Book And Bed Tokyo Asakusa location won us over. This unique hostel in Tokyo is not only conveniently located, it also has an interesting concept where they want you to doze off from a good read! Here’s a look at our experience and my review on Book And Bed Tokyo Asakusa.
The “TL:DR” Review:
No time to read the full review? Watch this quick view on what Book And Bed Tokyo Asakusa looks like inside then read some of my pros and cons below.
Pros:
- Very clean “rooms” and shared amenities
- Baggage hold before check-in is available
- Convenient location – steps from the Kaminarimon Sensouji and Asakusa Station
- Lots of outlets for charging all your devices
- Has double beds so couples can sleep together
- Has a small bar that serves coffee, tea, alcohol and simple breakfast
Cons:
- Sleeping quarters are tight (think capsule hotel but slightly wider)
- Not much noise cancellation (earplugs are provided)
- There isn’t much space to store your luggage
- Climbing is involved to get to your “room”
- Towels, toothbrush, toothpaste cost extra
- Only credit card or IC card are accepted on site, no cash allowed
Would I stay at Book And Bed Tokyo Asakusa again? Yes, for short periods where I do not have my full-size suitcase.
Would I recommend Book And Bed Tokyo Asakusa? Yes, for those of you who want to experience something different or for 1-2 night stays.
Book And Bed Tokyo Asakusa Full Review:
What makes Book And Bed Tokyo unique is they designed their hostel to be like a bookstore and is targeted for book lovers. As soon as you enter into the main area, you will see a row of bookshelves. They have all different kinds of books, mostly in Japanese and some in English, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding one that interest you. In between the books, you’ll see spaces with blue curtains. Those are the “beds” in this hostel. Behind each curtain is a sleeping quarter with a futon, a pillow and duvet, a small safe and hangers. You will be given fresh linen and pillow case when you check-in and you are required to drop them off at the laundry basket before you check-out.
Price: $$
For one night stay in a double bed for two people comes to ¥8,424. That’s just less than $100 CAD* per night. Note that this is a weekend price so if you stay during the weekday it’ll be cheaper. Now you might think that this is probably higher than staying at a capsule hotel or other hostel. Yes, you are right, most capsule hotel per night ranges between ¥2,000-¥4,000 per night, with the nicer ones around ¥3,500-¥5,000 per night. However, given that we’re staying on a weekend so prices are generally on the higher end, plus we would like to stay in the same room together, the double bed cost at Book And Bed Tokyo Asakusa seems quite reasonable.
*note: I used 1 CAD to ¥85 for comparison. Price per night fluctuates depends on the season, the day(s) of the week and other such as special events or local holidays.
Location: 5/5
Book And Bed Tokyo Asakusa is just 3 minutes walk from the Asakusa Metro Station. One of the reasons why I picked this location is that it’s only 8 minutes from the Ueno Station by train. We’re travelling by JR trains the following day to Kusatsu Onsen so it was crucial that we’re not too far from a JR station.
Besides a convenient transit location, this hostel is also close many eateries, shops and just steps away from Kaminarimon Sensouji. I love the fact that there is a grocery store literally right next to the hostel. I found a lot of cheap snacks and drinks there for our train ride the next day.
Services & Amenities: 4/5
Since Book And Bed Tokyo Asakusa is a hostel, many of the amenities are shared. They have a communal sink area and individual toilet and shower rooms. While hair dryers are provided for free, towels, toothbrush and toothpaste can be rented/purchased at an extra cost. The hostel also provided comfy slippers which I liked because it makes it feel homey.
Access & Safety
After check-in, you will receive a keycard that allows you to access the hostel anytime. There are no curfews. Since there are no doors, each room has a small safe to store valuables.
Food
You are allowed to bring food and eat them in the common area inside the hostel. No food or drink is allowed in the sleeping quarters. There’s a small bar where you can purchase coffee, tea, alcohol and a simple breakfast sandwich.
Storage
I was happy to find that the hostel allows you to drop off your baggage before check-in. This lets us explore the area without carrying our suitcases around. There isn’t much room to put luggage but we were able to fit two carry-on suitcases snuggly underneath our room.
Noise Level
Noise cancellation isn’t the greatest because there are no doors, just a curtain that separates your room and the common area. So if you are a light sleeper, I’d highly recommend bringing noise cancellation headphones. They also provide earplugs for free. I didn’t have trouble with the noise but Mr. Chau said he woke up a couple times at night. During our stay, most people were up by 7 am. Although everyone tried to stay as quiet as possible, you can definitely hear people moving around.
Interior Aesthetics & Cleanliness: 5/5
With a high ceiling and an open concept, the interior of Book And Bed Tokyo Asakusa is spacious and inviting. In the common area, there is a long high table with stools and opposite of that are very large, comfy sofas. Each spot has at least one electric outlet. I was able to charge all my devices (laptop, camera, phone) all at once which is great! No need to take turns with Mr. Chau.
The shared areas are well kept and very clean. Everyone cleans up after themselves and there is plenty of space so it doesn’t feel crowded at all. I loved curling up on one of the sofas with a good book. It’s so relaxing.
Double Room
Mr. Chau and I stayed in one of the few double rooms. All the rooms require you to climb into so be prepared for that. Our double room was more spacious than I thought. It has two futons with about a foot of space next to it. The height of the room is about 3-4 feet high only. I’m 5’7″ and was able to sit almost straight up inside. It’s not easy to change inside the room though since you can’t stand up, so take advantage of the shower room if it’s available.
I was worried about air circulations at first but was happy to find there is a small fan inside the room which provides some air flow. We visited in the winter so I’m not sure if the room would be too hot in the summertime.
Final Thought on Book And Bed Tokyo Asakusa
Our stay at Book And Bed Tokyo Asakusa was enjoyable and interesting. It provided a nice break from our travel where we were able to relax on a comfy sofa with a book. Their weekday prices are definitely a good value given their convenient location.
