Anshin Oyado is just a two-minute walk from Akihabara Station and has everything we need to get comfortable.
One of the meanings of the first kanji character in the name of capsule hotel Anshin Oyado, 安, is “cheap.” And yes, as a capsule hotel, its low prices are a big part of its appeal – on our recent stay at the Anshin Oyado in Tokyo’s Akihabara neighborhood, we paid just 2,980 yen (US$19) for the night.
But 安 can also mean “safe,” “stable,” or “secure,” and Anshin Oyado’s name translates, loosely, to “hotel that gives you a sense of comfort and security,” and it lives up to that promise in all sorts of great ways.
For starters, the hotel is just a block away from Akihabara Station, less than a two-minute walk from the ticket gates, so there’s no worry about not having easy access to all the shopping and dining that’s centered around the station, and also to Tokyo’s rail network for anywhere else in the city you want to go sightseeing.
At check-in, you’ll receive a roomwear set that you can relax in while inside the building.
▼ You also get a locker to store your street clothes and valuables in.
We actually weren’t in our roomwear for too long, though, because our next stop was the spacious Japanese-style bath located on the basement level.
After a nice long soak, we toweled off, changed back into our roomwear, and took advantage of the wide variety of grooming supplies that are offered free of charge, including leave-in hair conditioner, styling gel, and spray-on deodorant. No need to worry about looking, or smelling, less than your best because you forgot to pack these essentials.
Clean and with the tension of the day melted away in the bath, we next headed up to the second floor, where there’s a lounge.
The lounge has something else that always has us feeling cozy: booze! There’s an all-you-can-drink drink bar with a truly impressive array of complimentary liquor, including variety of shochu.
There are also multiple stations for coffee, tea, and soft drinks, also free of charge…
…plus a large selection of manga, which you can either read in the lounge or take back to your capsule with you.
▼ Time to catch up on Baki the Grappler!
Bathed, buzzed, and stocked up on reading material, it was time to take a look at our capsule (note that the Akihabara Anshin Oyado, like many capsule hotels, only accepts male guests).
Anshin Oyado is actually part of Pasela Resorts, a full-fledged hotel and restaurant management company. The interior of our hotel and capsule were exceptionally clean, and Anshin Oyado even has custom-sized bedding supplied by Simmons to help ensure a good night’s sleep.
Also provided to help you sleep soundly, or maybe we should say soundlessly, are earplugs and nasal breathing strips. And are you the type who sleeps best by winding down before bed by listening to soothing music, watching a relaxing video, or enjoying some of the finest reading material the Internet has to offer? Don’t worry about your devices running out of battery, because Anshin Oyado equips each capsule with a power strip and charging cables.
As we mentioned above, we paid just 2,980 yen for our stay, thanks to a special limited-time/limited-number of capsules discount we found through Rakuten Travel here. When we checked in, the clerk told us that because of the available capsules for that night, we had our choice between a standard capsule or a high-ceiling one, and we opted for the latter.
The high-ceiling capsule gives you 140 centimeters (55 inches) of vertical space. That, of course, didn’t give us enough space to stand, but there was enough to sit up, which is a comfort you usually can’t get in a capsule hotel capsule.
The only potential drawback to the high-ceiling capsule, versus the standard type, is that there’s no TV in the high-ceiling. Again, though, we had chargers to keep all of our devices powered and ourselves entertained.
Add in a stint in one of the hotel’s free-to-use massage chairs, and we had everything we needed for a good night’s sleep. After we got up in the morning, we started our day with one more bath, and then…
…curry! And not just curry, but free curry! Every morning from 7 to 10 a.m., Anshin Oyado provides free all-you-can-eat curry and rice for guests. Oh, and as a final bit of reassurance, Anshin Oyado’s check-out time isn’t until noon, so you’ve got plenty of time to sit and digest if start the day by stuffing yourself.
Hotel information
Anshin Oyado (Akihabra Denkigai branch) / 安心お宿(秋葉原電気街店)
Address: Tokyo-to, Chiyoda-ku, Soto Landa 1-2-12
東京都千代田区外神田1丁目2-12
Website
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