Avanshell is located in Akasaka, within easy reach of most spots in Tokyo either on foot or via the Metro. If you are looking for space, good price, accessibility, a safe and interesting neighbourhood, this should be one of your top choices in Tokyo.
If you do a little research, this hotel is within easy reach from Narita by JR Express and 2 short trips/changes on the subway. Once you reach Akasaka, finding the hotel can be a little difficult even with the direction given on the hotel website or the ones suggested by google map, especially if you arrive after sunset. OK, here is the most direct route you should take to avoid any confusion upon arrival: Take Exit 2 from the Akasaka Station. As you reach street level, there is a little lane directly on the left of the station exit just before Burger King. This lane appears very dark and uninviting after sunset but there is actually a sign on the wall pointing to the hotel. Walk along this lane and the hotel stretches from the second half of this lane till the end. Even though you can see the reception of the hotel, you have to reach the end of the lane and make a U-turn, walk past the Italian restaurant to get into the hotel entrance. Once you have the liberty of analysing the set-up of the station, all exits are actually within walking distance of the hotel. Roppongi is a 20-min walk (via the smaller streets) or one metro stop down the Chiyoba line.
As others have pointed out, the English level shown by the reception staff is not terribly good but more than adequate if you are not demanding. I had no issue asking for what I wanted.
I do think that this is not a purpose-built hotel but a renovated one, possibly from an apartment block. This explains why all the corridors are outside the building and exposed to the elements. There is nothing fancy here, no marble-lined hallways, no chandelier at the reception, no swimming pool, no business centre, etc. etc. There is only one restaurant, an Italian one but there is a large complex in the vicinity with dozens of restaurants and hundreds of eateries in the neighbourhood. Not only that, there are scores of convenience stores scattered everywhere. Spend some time exploring the neighbourhood and you will be surprised how convenient this hotel is.
The room itself is very large by Japanese standard, no doubt because of the fact that the building is a converted apartment block. Each room has a little hallway with a shoe cabinet; a little pantry with a microwave, a mini-fridge and basic tea-making facilities; a writing desk that is large enough to be used as a dining table; a balcony with a view of the neighbourhood; 2 small-sized double beds and a fair-sized bathroom.
There is free internet but no WiFi provided in the room but I circumvented the inconvenience by using a little gadget that I always bring along when travelling - it converts a LAN signal to a WiFi signal so that I can use my iPad and smartphone.
The temperature in the room is a tad problematic as the air vents are pointing towards the writing desk, and the head of the bed is by the window. The air circulation is not uniform enough to ensure a constant temperature throughout all areas of the room. When I was here last week (mid-January), I had to make-do with using the cushions and pillows to block off the cold air coming in from the windows, left the bathroom door open so that it wouldn't get too cold, and at the same time tolerated with the high temperature when sitting at the desk.
Yes, if you are not fussy about the non-essential items that most international hotel chains have to offer, Avanshell Akasaka is well worth consideration.
- Avanshell Akasaka Hotel
