There comes a time in every traveler’s life when the best way to a destination is via an inconveniently timed connection through the Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT).
The last time this happened to be, I chose to spend the night at the Tobu Hotel. It’s the nearest hotel to NRT, and a darn good one of that.
Is it luxurious? Hell no. But it is comfortable and very convenient (two things a traveler needs the most).
A full review of my 1-night stay at the Tobu Hotel at Narita Airport
Don’t let the seemingly low rates of this hotel fool you. It’s a quiet, clean, and friendly property that offers a lot of bang for the buck (I mean Yen).
Location
I suppose it’s technically possible to walk to the Tobu Narita from either Terminal 1 or 2. I don’t recommend it though – unless you enjoy walking down narrow sidewalks, busy parking lots, and dark back alleys.
Instead, take the shuttle bus. It stops at both Terminal 1 and 2 every 30 minutes.
Tobu Hotel shuttle bus coming in hot! Right on schedule too.And comfy! And I’m not just saying that because the seats match the shirt. Legroom is excellent.Never mind the fact that looks like a prison from the outside. As you’re about to see, it’s an excellent airport hotel. Probably one of my favorites of all time actually.I mean, when’s the last time you saw a prison with a bus like that?The main entrance. I like what I see so far. I’m going in. (Although, to be completely honest, I would’ve gone in no matter what considering the fact that I was dead tired after flying in from the US).
The lobby (and checking in)
I arrived at approximately 9 PM, and I was surprised by how busy the lobby was. It’s a popular choice among travelers I guess. Despite the crowds, I was able to get checked in quickly and efficiently. It took less than five minutes.
Wait a sec. Isn’t this supposed to be a low budget airport hotel? The lobby looks… really nice.The reception desk staff (all of them) were really nice as well. Some of them even spoke better English than me (a white guy born and raised in the US).The best part of the lobby (by far) is this little convenience store. From bottled water to condoms to anti-diarrheal medicine, it’s got everything a weary traveler needs.Oh – there’s also this nice looking restaurant located near the elevators. I didn’t try it, but it smelled good.
Getting to my room
I chose a 12th (top) floor room for my one night stay. Therefore, taking the elevator was my only option. I’m too old and lazy to take the stairs.
A lonely (but nice) ride on the elevator up to the 12th floor. The 12th floor is the top floor by the way. Sorry, but I was too tired to check and see if every floor looked the same.Alllllmost there. I’m just moments away from what I’ve been dreaming about since starting my journey back in San Diego 25 hours ago. Clarification: staying the night at the NRT Tobu Hotel wasn’t the dream. The dream was to be able to lay down and sleep after a tiring (and very long) journey. I freakin’ did it!
Room overview
Not only did I spend a little more for a top floor room, I opted for one of the largest rooms available. Remember – hotel rooms are generally smaller in Japan than they are in the rest of the world, so if you want a “normal” size room, be prepared to pay for it. Long story short: paying more was the right decision.
Pro tip: you’ll feel much better about your hotel room when you walk into it with low expectations.Eeny Meeny Miny Moe… Whatever. I was so tired that I could’ve easily bypassed either of these twin beds and slept on the floor. Comfortably.I wasn’t tired enough to appreciate how nice of a room this was for slightly less than $100(US) though. Cheap and good!Pretty good indeed. One moment please as I am muster the energy to finish this review…Moving on! Here we have the view looking towards the TV, minibar, and the main entrance. Nope, this is nowhere near as nice as the room that I had at the Haneda Airport Hotel, but it is much larger. Which would you prefer? Sexy good looks? Or size?Actually, I’ll always choose the one with a table and chair setup which allows for convenient conversation with my alter ego. “Hey bro, what do you think this room?” To which my alter ego replies, “it’s pretty dope yo. Your hotel selection skills kick a**!”Air purifier? Check. Ice bucket and hot water maker? Check. Complementary pajamas in the top drawer? Welcome to Japan!There’s a refrigerator too (which made it awfully tempting to run down to that convenience store and load up on cheap sake and sushi).If you watched the video, you probably laughed your a** off when I referred to those electrical outlets above this bedside table as “USB ports.” I was a little tired, OK?Now we’re getting into the nitty-gritty details. You didn’t think I would end this review without showing you what was on the desk, right?If the contents of that desk didn’t excite you to the point of having palpitations, this thermostat surely will! Maybe. Maybe not.It ain’t truly being nitty-gritty without a picture of the closet I guess. Here you go. Oh. Those slippers you saw in the last pic? Very comfy!
The view
One of the best things about choosing a top floor room was the view that I had of Narita Airport. It probably would’ve been better if the weather was good, but beggars can’t be choosers I guess.
Plane spotting from this room wasn’t very good if I’m being honest. I heard a lot of airplanes, but I didn’t see all that many.
As you can see, my room had a pretty nice view of the airport. It wasn’t anywhere near as nice as the view that I had from my room at the Boston Logan Airport Hilton, but this was nice nonetheless.I was hoping to see an airplane or two the next morning, but the rain pretty much said “lol nope”.
The bathroom
The bathroom was extremely basic, but I’ll give it high marks due to the awesomely awesome toilet. I mean, any toilet that can do the wiping for me is a good one in my book.
Otherwise, it was OK. Water pressure (and temperature) was good, and everything was squeaky clean.
It may not look like much, but this toilet treated me very well during my stay. The control panel for said toilet. OMG I love Japan so much.Unfortunately, the shower and tub wasn’t automated. You’re going to have to sit on that toilet if you want a machine to wash your junk.Do you guys have any idea how difficult it is to say something (anything) about a generic hotel room bathroom vanity moments after having your junk delicately washed and rinsed by a machine?I’m ending this review with pictures of the soaps, lotions, and complementary toothbrushes here in the bathroom. The toilet did something to me (something so good), and it will be impossible for me to focus from this point forward. I’m out!
Pros and cons of staying at the Narita Tobu Hotel
If I wasn’t a total weirdo who likes to do hotel reviews, this would be the property I would choose every time I needed to stay near Narita Airport. It’s good. It’s not perfect though, so hopefully the pictures I just showed you were good enough to set realistic expectations.
Pros
It’s an incredibly convenient place to stay if you’ve got an early-morning flight out of NRT.
Everything is clean and very well-maintained.
It’s shockingly quiet for a hotel located in such a busy area.
Every staff member that I encountered seemed to bend over backwards to make sure that I was having a good stay.
Cons
It’s a somewhat dated property that would probably benefit from a facelift.
It’s also very popular, so be prepared to stand in line for everything (checking in, the restaurant, the airport shuttle bus, etc).
