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 Narita airport shuttle bus
Tobu Hotel shuttle bus coming in hot! Right on schedule too.
Riding on the Tobu Hotel Narita shuttle bus
And comfy! And I’m not just saying that because the seats match the shirt. Legroom is excellent.
Tobu Hotel Narita exterior
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.
Tobu Hotel Narita Tokyo Skytree bus
I mean, when’s the last time you saw a prison with a bus like that?
Tobu Hotel Narita main entrance
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. 

Tobu Hotel Narita lobby
Wait a sec. Isn’t this supposed to be a low budget airport hotel? The lobby looks… really nice.
Tobu Hotel Narita reception desk
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).
Tobu Hotel Narita drugstore and market
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.
Tobu Hotel Narita lobby restaurant
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. 

Tobu Hotel Narita elevator
A lonely (but nice) ride on the elevator up to the 12th floor.
Tobu Hotel Narita 12th floor hallway
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.
Scott walking through the hallway at the Tobu Hotel Narita
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.
Tobu Hotel Narita room 1251
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. 

Walking into my room at the Tobu Hotel Narita
Pro tip: you’ll feel much better about your hotel room when you walk into it with low expectations.
Tobu Hotel Narita twin beds
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.
Tobu Hotel Narita top floor room
I wasn’t tired enough to appreciate how nice of a room this was for slightly less than $100(US) though. Cheap and good!
Scott sitting on the bed at the Tobu Hotel Narita
Pretty good indeed. One moment please as I am muster the energy to finish this review…
Tobu Hotel Narita top floor room details
Moving on! Here we have the view looking towards the TV, minibar, and the main entrance.
Tobu Hotel Narita top floor room overview
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?
Tobu Hotel Narita in room table and chair
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**!”
Tobu Hotel Narita pajamas, air purifier, and minibar
Air purifier? Check. Ice bucket and hot water maker? Check. Complementary pajamas in the top drawer? Welcome to Japan!
Tobu Hotel Narita in room refrigerator
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).
Tobu Hotel Narita bedside table with alarm clock, electrical outlets, and phone
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?
Tobu Hotel Narita desk literature
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?
Tobu Hotel Narita thermostat
If the contents of that desk didn’t excite you to the point of having palpitations, this thermostat surely will! Maybe. Maybe not.
Tobu Hotel Narita closet
It ain’t truly being nitty-gritty without a picture of the closet I guess. Here you go.
Scott wearing slippers in the Tobu Hotel Narita
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.

Tobu Hotel Narita view from room at night
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.
View of Airport from the Tobu Hotel Narita in the rain during the day
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. 

Tobu Hotel Narita toilet
It may not look like much, but this toilet treated me very well during my stay.
Tobu Hotel Narita toilet control panel
The control panel for said toilet. OMG I love Japan so much.
Tobu Hotel Narita shower and tub
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.
Tobu Hotel Narita bathroom vanity
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?
Tobu Hotel Narita bathroom soaps and shampoos
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). 

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