Hotel Review: Far East Village Hotel Tokyo Asakusa

Far East Organization formally opened Far East Village Hotel Tokyo Asakusa in April 2023 with a location that is about 5 minutes walk away from Tawaramachi Station and near the traditional Asakusa district surrounding the iconic Sensoji Temple. This is Far East Organization’s 3rd hotel in Japan.

The property itself is rebranded from what used to be Red Planet Asakusa. With the Far East Organization acquisition, certain changes were made to some furnishings, amenities and aesthetic fit the color scheme of the brand.

With 135 rooms, this is a mid-sized hotel with just 12 floors. The lobby plays a focal point in the hotel stay as some room amenities are kept here. Aside from check-in/check-out formalities, bathroom amenities such as shaving kit, cotton buds, etc are also placed here for guest to bring back to the room.

There is also free-flow coffee from the lobby’s Nespresso machine, with 4 different types of coffee capsules to choose from. 

To differentiate itself from local hotels, the property also has a “Live Like a Local” booklet containing various recommendations around the neighborhood. This includes places to eat as well as tourist attractions in the vicinity. 

Room

All rooms at Far East Village Hotel, with the exception of the Accessible Room for the disabled, are of the same size with the main difference being that of the view and bed layout. The most prized rooms are those that come with a view of Tokyo Skytree.

As a no-frills hotel the rooms are quite basic but functional. At 15 square meters, the room can fit either a double bed or two twin beds plus a desk by the side. There’s a luggage rack that can store one medium-sized bag. There is also a humidifier that’s placed in each room by default to help prevent drying of one’s skin. It’s quite a lifesaver for me and some hotels in Japan only provide them upon request.

I love the fluffy beddings used, including the rather thick  duvet and western-style pillows, in contrast to the firmer buckwheat pillows usually found in Japanese hotels.

The bathroom is on the smaller side, with more of the 15 square meter room space dedicated for the sleeping quarters than what I typically see in other similar-sized hotel rooms. Given the limited room area, I would prefer it this way – with more area going to the bedroom where I find myself most of the time, as compared to the bath. As with any hotel in Japan, the toilet comes with electric bidet and shampoo and bath gel are of the dispenser type.

The hotel has an “eco-cleaning” concept where full housekeeping is only done every 4 nights. When the stay is shorter than this, eco-cleaning takes over and this means light cleaning activities such as the replenishing of bathrobes, towels and making of the bed.

Facilities

To provide guests with more space to relax, the hotel has introduced a lounge located in the second floor of the hotel. This was a new addition by Far East Organization when Far East Village Asakusa was opened and I must say it also serves as one of the most photogenic parts of the property.

There is also a vending machine inside the lounge from where guests can purchase drinks and enjoy them while sitting on one of the lounge chairs. The table setup here is not exactly conducive for a heavy meal but is suitable for instant noodles or light bites. 

Breakfast

The hotel does not have an inhouse restaurant but booking certain rates come with breakfast included. The hotel has partnered with 2 restaurants nearby – a steakhouse called Boichi and a Chinese restaurant called Panda. Both venues serve various kinds of breakfast sets for nearby Asakusa hotels in the morning. 

I had breakfast during my stay at Panda where they have a few Chinese and western themed sets. I opted for the dimsum set which came with siu mai, prawn dumplings as well as congee. It was quite a filling meal and there was also a little buffet station from where diners could grab some pastries and buns.

Verdict

As a no-frills hotel, Far East Village Hotel Tokyo Asakusa comes at a great price point. Depending on the date of stay, one can book rooms here for well below US$80 a night, a rate that one often finds in cheaper local business hotels. Location is great and is near the restaurant row in Asakusa. For those looking to do a bit of sightseeing, the famous Sensoji Temple and Nakamise Street are both a few minutes walk from the property.

Far East Village Hotel Tokyo Asakusa
1 Chome-11-6 Asakusa
Taito City, Tokyo 111-0032
Japan

+81 3 5246 3855