I stayed at this hotel twice in May 2009 and found the staff to be very friendly and helpful. The rooms are quite small (hey, it is Tokyo!) but very clean and well serviced. The prices are very competive and the breakfast was very good quality. The only thing to consider is the ten minute walk from the railway station - however, the hotel is only a couple of minutes away from the shops. The adjacent road is hardly noticeable.

The Hotel Ark Tokyo, what can I say? I got this hotel recommended from a travel agent, I wanted a budget hotel in the Tokyo area, and this hotel really was a great deal! The location itself isn't the greatest, it is situated next to a motorway and the views are therefore limited, but there is no need to be concerned about noise, the rooms are very quiet, I was surprised.

It is reasonably easy to find from the Ikebukuro JR Train station, which has a direct line to Narita Airport, there are not many signs leading to the hotel, so you should ask someone. The Japanese are very polite and they will go to extreme lenghts to help you on your way, that was at least my personal experience.

The staff at the hotel was very pleasant and very polite, though their English could have been considerably better, but there is nothing to complain about when it comes to their devotion to service for their guests.

The rooms themselves are quite small, for an European or an American traveller, it will be quite a "shock" if you are not familiar with Japanese sizes and facilities. The room was quite clean and nice, though show signs of wear and tear. It has the amenties you would expect from a budget hotel, air-condition, direct-dial telephone, private shower and toilet and cable-television, mind you; NO international tv-channels whatsoever.

As mentioned before the hotel is situated close to the Ikebukuro JR train station and metro station, which will easily and conveniently bring you to wherever you want to go in the Tokyo Metropolitan area, it is about ten minutes by foot to the station.

They do offer breakfast service, however I did not choose this option, so I have no familiarity to this service, please see other reviews.

All in all, I would say this hotel is a good value for money, and the location is OK.

I booked my rooms for about Y13,500 per night and I think it is a very good deal. First, the location, in Ikebukero East side, is very convenient. We walked one minute to Sunshine Bldg., and every morning and night had convenience stores, ramen, bakeries, donuts, and arcades to keep us fed and entertained at those times. The only problem was walking there from the JR station with our suitcases in the crowded streets...I had to call the hotel from my rented cell phone a few times. Luckily I speak some Japanese or else we would have been in trouble. It is too close for a taxi. Once we got there, we found the rooms were clean and probably recently renovated...I guess this because there was a 15" flat screen TV! And a refrigerator and a minibar, all of which is pretty good for that nightly rate in a prime spot like Ikebukuro.
If you've been to Japan and/or Ikebukuro before, or you don't mind a little walking adventure to get there, then this hotel is great. If you are nervous, or don't like a bright neighborhood with lots of young people going to bars or clubs on you walk away from the station, then this isn't the hotel for you.
For me, a traveller on a budget, I was completely satisfied with the clean, quiet rooms, kind staff, proximity to entertainment, food, and huge JR station.