The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon by Hulic

Overview

Kaminarimon's red lantern marks the entrance to Sensoji Temple, and The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon by Hulic is a short walk away on Kaminarimon Street. You can walk the temple approach before breakfast, then return after dark without taking a train.

Take the elevator to the 13th floor to check in. From the lobby you can look across Asakusa toward Tokyo Skytree.

Rooms

The smallest rooms, called Modest, have one semi-double bed in 15 to 19 square meters. For three people sharing, the Essential triple measures 24 square meters, while the Classy triple has 37. That extra space matters when everyone has a suitcase. There's also a wheelchair-accessible twin in the Essential category.

The Balcony suite gives two guests private outdoor space. If it's the view over Asakusa you're after rather than a private balcony, you can enjoy it from the restaurant or the guests' terrace without booking a suite.

Facilities

Reception can store bags before check-in or after checkout, leaving both hands free for shopping along the temple approach even on departure day. There's no hotel parking, so drivers need to use paid parking nearby.

Dining

Breakfast at R restaurant & bar includes a choice of main dish, such as eggs Benedict, and freshly squeezed orange juice. The 13th-floor dining room has counter seats for solo diners and terrace tables overlooking the neighborhood. It also serves Western-style lunch and dinner.

One floor above, B bar is reserved for overnight guests. You can sit at the bar in the evening or take a drink onto the terrace.

Location and transport

Exit 2 of Asakusa Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line is about two minutes' walk from the hotel. Use this line for trips from Asakusa to Ueno or Ginza. Tobu's station is about four minutes away via its central exit, with trains running across the river to Tokyo Skytree.

The Tsukuba Express also has a station called Asakusa, but it's in a different building about eight minutes away on foot via Exit A1. If you're meeting someone at the station, agree on the line as well as the name.

Airport access

For Haneda or Narita, use the Toei Asakusa Line. Some trains continue onto Keikyu tracks for Haneda or Keisei tracks for Narita without requiring a change. Check the destination before boarding, since not every train on the line goes to an airport.

From Toei's Exit A4, the walk to the hotel takes about three minutes, but you'll need to climb stairs to reach the street. With a suitcase or stroller, use the elevator at Exit A2-b instead; the walk from there takes about four minutes.

Why stay here

Kaminarimon is close enough to visit twice: once when the temple approach is quiet and again after the shops open. Nearby airport trains also let you avoid carrying luggage through one of Tokyo's larger railway stations.

From Kaminarimon, follow Nakamise shopping street toward the temple for snacks and souvenirs. For a different walk, head toward the Sumida River, where you can see Tokyo Skytree across the water.