Whenever I head to Tokyo because I know I'll miss the last train back home, I get a hotel for one or two nights. My go-to place thus far has usually been Hundred Stay Shinjuku. The other weekend, though, Hundred Stay was booked and I took to the Internet to find a new place. Hotel Niwa Tokyo popped up on Agoda with a great deal so I checked it out on here. All the great reviews weren't lying one bit. This place was great!

The lobby is oddly spacious for the very unassuming exterior of the hotel. Everything is very modern in that distinctly Japanese way that, if you've been here, you'll know. Lots of glass and dark woods. Very nice. Very trendy-ish. There's also a restaurant or bistro of some sort in the lobby, but I didn't go there so no reviews on that. There's no place to really sit in the lobby, though, but fortunately the front desk was manned by a very efficient staff. As with most non-Western hotels, though, the staff speak minimal English but will do their best. In all, check-in was smooth and quick, and the staff polite and friendly.

The room was the basic room they offer but was great. It was small in the way that typical Japan hotel rooms are, but the bathroom was amazing. Everything looked brand new and was immaculately clean. The water pressure was great, though you had to turn the tub faucet handles pretty far to get it. The actual set-up of the bathroom was very nice. The placement of the toilet and tub and sink made it very convenient but left lots of open space. It was pretty big for a Japanese hotel bathroom, to be honest.

The bedroom part was small but not cramped. The hotel makes efficient use of wall space by hanging the flat-panel LCD TV at the foot of the beds leaving the space below it free for luggage or just to leave open. Also, the window had both a regular roll-down shade as well as a shoji screen for a very authentic Japanese experience. Ample lighting in the built-in lights at the heads of the bed, behind beautiful decorative glass, or in the ceiling provided all the light you could need, as did the bedside lamps perfect for reading while not disturbing your partner.

The hotel includes free wired and WiFi Internet which was fast and easy to access. Plus, each room has a tea set with both traditional Japanese teas and standard English teas. I didn't use them, but it was nice to know they were there. Additionally, the hotel has a small fitness room with treadmills and a stationary bicycle if I remember correctly, as well as a two massage chairs and laundry/vending facilities for those needing to wash clothing or wanting a small snack.

I have no complaints about this hotel at all. My only real gripe is that it's kind of hidden on a side street about one block in from one of Tokyo's main streets. Without a detailed map or a smart phone with GPS, you might be walking around for a while.

A little difficult find it the first time, but very close to Suidobashi Station. I like mixed Modern Traditional atmosphere. The rooms are not very big, but very clean and quiet. Very polite and friendly people. I like the designated smoking area located on the terrace at the second (third?) floor. Many good restaurant around. I hope the rate is a little less expensive.

The Niwa hotel is centrally located, within a couple blocks of a subway stop, yet not on a major street, so no street noise to speak of. There was a convenience store next door, and a small refrigerator in the room. This made it where you always had easy access to soda, water, OJ, beer, etc.

It has a GREAT exercise/recreation room, that along with some exercising equipment, has two massage chairs. These chairs provided a great relief after a day of walking up and down subway entrance stairs and around the city. They also have washers and dryers, so if you need to refresh some cloths, you can do that there as well.

The bed was very comfortable, and the room was big enough to move around in. Not large by any means, but larger than the typical Japanese hotel room. Although, we did upgrade to a larger room when we arrived, so I can't speak to the size of the "basic" room.

The one feature of this hotel I fell in love with, was the water pressure! The shower had separate hot and cold water knobs, and you could just keep turning both of them up until the water was SCREAMING out of the shower head. It was a nice change from the typical hotel that goes to the extreme of "low flow" on the guise of "saving the world."

The staff was friendly enough, and spoken enough English to provide restaurant recommendations and general information.

My only complaint of the hotel was that the WiFi was hit or miss. Literally. The signal would simply come and go. Fortunately, they also provided a wired connection, that was fast and worked flawlessly. I quickly just turned my laptop into a "hotspot" and shared that wired connection with may smartphone and tablet.

I stayed there last July for 3 nights, Not easy to find if I didn't look it up on the map. Very nice and tranquil hotel in busy Tokyo. Room was pretty small (normal in Tokyo) with warm decor. I like the fact that there was a small vertical window that I could open.
2 very comfortable Panasonic massage chairs in the lounge on the 3rd floor (?). I enjoyed it so much that I bought one after returning home.
On the last night, I sensed quite a big earthquake and the room went swinging sideway but, fortunately, nothing fell down from the cupboard or table. Very pleased to know that it has earthquake absorbing system.