Vessel Inn Ueno Iriya Station

This is a decent business hotel near Asakusa but a little too far away from the Yamanote Sen. It’s actually quite hard to find at night as it’s tucked away in the back street of a small neighborhood in Taito-Ku. Upside is tranquility as there’s very little foot traffic in the surrounding area yet there are still konbinis and 24 hour restaurants within walking distance. I was able to walk to Sensoji on foot in 20 minutes which is quite convenient. Rooms are kind of outdated and there’s a damp smell as soon as I entered. There’s an air purifier inside but I don’t think it can remove mildew smell. There’s no fan inside the bathroom. There’s barely any space for 2 medium sized suitcases. The bed is comfortable and I didn’t hear any noise coming from any other neighbors at night. I stayed here for a total of 3 nights. I actually switched rooms to a different floor on my second day, due to availability but it was hassle free. I confirmed with hotel staff before heading out and they moved all my luggage while I was out exploring. Hotel staff was courteous and helpful upon check-in but it varies day to day depending on who’s working. None of them speak English it seems. The laundry room on the fifth floor has only 2 washers and the dryer takes more than 2 cycles to dry a normal load, they could use an upgrade. There’s free toiletries like combs, body lotions and bath salts you can try near the elevator. There’s also a little dining area in the lobby open to all guests and the kitchen staff serve free ochazuke from 9pm to 11pm every night. The juice machine is very good too. The trashcan in the lobby does not take plastic bottles so I had to walk to the 7-11 across the street to dump my water and tea bottles each day.