Agora Tokyo Ginza

“Clean and Modern”

Very clean and modern hotel a short walk from Ginza. Arrived in the early morning off the back of a red eye flight. Was not able to get an early checkin (not the hotels fault as their checkin policy is 3pm). I had a friend who arrived a couple of days earlier and had been staying at the same place… more

Very clean and modern hotel a short walk from Ginza. Arrived in the early morning off the back of a red eye flight. Was not able to get an early checkin (not the hotels fault as their checkin policy is 3pm). I had a friend who arrived a couple of days earlier and had been staying at the same place. Our plan was to share a room - The check in staff arranged to move our suitcases into the same room once my room was ready. I really appreciate that There were some nice cold drinks for us at reception which went done well on a very hot day. The room was very clean and tidy. Room size was small yet comfortable. Bed was very comfortable - great after walking 30,000 steps that day. I didn't take the breakfast option - so no comments there. Overall an excellent hotel - I will be back!

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“Just the right place for kabuki fans and tourists seeking a quiet spot in central Ginza”

I travelled to Tokyo over the Christmas holidays with my parents and stayed at Agora Tokyo Ginza for a week (we booked a Deluxe Twin and a Superior King room for a total of three adults). As we were in Ginza specifically to watch kabuki at the nearby Kabuki-za theatre, the location of Agora Tokyo G… more

I travelled to Tokyo over the Christmas holidays with my parents and stayed at Agora Tokyo Ginza for a week (we booked a Deluxe Twin and a Superior King room for a total of three adults). As we were in Ginza specifically to watch kabuki at the nearby Kabuki-za theatre, the location of Agora Tokyo Ginza was fantastic - just across the road and around the corner from the theatre, which was incredibly convenient, but because it was down a small street, it somehow seemed to avoid the street noise and hustle and bustle of central Tokyo, which made it surprisingly peaceful at night. The hotel was also very close to an entrance to the Higashi-ginza Subway station, a Family Mart and a Lawson, the Mitsukoshi Ginza and Matsuya Ginza department stores, as well as many excellent cafés and restaurants within 15 minutes' walking distance. In the run-up to our December stay at Agora Tokyo Ginza, I got a bit worried as I'd found several reviews online claiming that the rooms were dusty, dirty, or rather worn out. I'm happy to report that this wasn't the case when I stayed there: our rooms were cleaned on a daily basis (which is more than other, cheaper hotels within the area were offering - some of whom only offered a cleaning service on the seventh day of a long-term stay) and the level of cleaning/hygiene for floors, surfaces, sheets, and towels was always at a high standard. There were also quite a few online reviews complaining about how small the rooms at Agora Tokyo Ginza are - but the thing is that most Japanese hotel rooms are almost always on the smaller side (unless you're paying through the nose for a luxury hotel), especially when staying in a prime location like Ginza in Tokyo, and the area of each room category is clearly stated on the hotel's website in square metres. It's true that the Deluxe Twin room was quite a squeeze for two people (to the point that it was impossible for both of us to fully open our suitcases at the same time), but that didn't come as a surprise. To me, it was the minimalist design of the hotel room that I felt could have done with some improvement. Although Agora Tokyo Ginza specifically describes the Deluxe Twin as a "simple guest room, which has been stripped of unnecessary decoration", it definitely needed more storage space. There were no drawers in the room where we could store items, no shelves to place things on (apart from a little bit of counter space in the entrance and by the sink), and the extremely short clothes rail only contained four clothes hangers - that's just two clothes hangers per person. Most of my clothes had to be piled up on top of my suitcase in a corner of my room, which wasn't very convenient during the seven days that we were staying there. In the future, if Agora Tokyo Ginza chooses to renovate and redesign its rooms, I really hope the management finds a way to incorporate extra storage. Please note that if you're a digital nomad or on a working holiday, it's difficult to work in the room itself at the tiny desk by the sink as there isn't a desk lamp, and it's also hard to focus if you're in the guest lounge because it's a cramped, high-traffic area with lots of guests passing by. The other weak point in the room was the ventilation, which other guests have also commented on online. Although there was a thermostat in the room that was supposed to be adjustable, it often felt stiflingly warm and stuffy, with little to no airflow. There was an air purifier in the room that doubled as a fan, which made it much cooler and airier, but given that we were there in wintertime (it sometimes dipped to 3 degrees Centigrade outside), adjusting the temperature of the room was less of a problem than it would be during, say, high summer. I would actually be quite cautious of staying at Agora Tokyo Ginza when temperatures are really warm in Tokyo, as I really cannot imagine how hot it might get inside the rooms. Putting that aside, I appreciated little touches in the hotel such as the mini-fridge and goose-neck kettle in the room (which could be adjusted to specific temperatures for brewing tea or gently warming up water), the small roof garden seating area on the top floor, the complimentary morning bread, coffee, and infused water available in the guest lounge on the ground floor, and their rack of guest umbrellas (which could be taken out of the hotel for free) by the entrance. The staff at Agora Tokyo Ginza were always friendly and helpful (even to guests who were exceedingly rude to them, such as one particularly unpleasant man who demanded a wake-up call without so much as a please and thank you), and I had a nice chat with Ms. Manisha Chhetri at the reception desk, who was always warm, welcoming, and incredibly hardworking. I realise I've been quite critical in my review of Agora Tokyo Ginza, but I would still stay at this hotel during the colder months and during off-peak periods when their rates are less expensive than the Christmas period (which was VERY pricey), especially if I'm travelling solo. I did like the feeling of staying at a little boutique hotel in Ginza, and if it's in my travel budget to stay in one of Agora Tokyo Ginza's larger Executive rooms, that's an option I'd be keen on exploring.

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