Hotel SUI Akasaka by ABEST

Hotel SUI Akasaka by ABEST is a compact, good-value, conveniently located hotel in Akasaka with friendly staff and a few interesting quirks.

What’s the hotel like?

SUI is part of a new breed of affordable design hotels. The rooms are a little squishy, but there are interesting shared spaces — namely the ground floor café/coworking space and the rooftop terrace. Unusually, the front desk staff during our stay were genuinely very friendly and helpful. This might sound a little strange, but professionalism and efficiency are generally valued more highly than friendliness within the Japanese hospitality industry.

What facilities does the hotel have?

As mentioned, there is an area with café seating (called Easy Point) on the ground floor which is also where breakfast is served. There is free coffee next to the front desk and also a fridge with various drinks and alcoholic beverages for sale. There are also coin operated washing machines and driers on the ground floor.

Is there anywhere to hang out in the hotel?

SUI encourages guests to use Easy Point Café for co-working. Although it’s mainly made up of café-style seating, there also some more comfortable sofas available. A selling point of the hotel is the 13th floor rooftop “Sky Terrace” which is open to hotel guests when the weather permits. You can take food and drink up here and have a fancy low-cost picnic.

What are the rooms like?

There are five room configurations — single, double, twin, “Deluxe Twin”, and “Superior Twin”.

The rooms are modern, spotlessly clean, and very small — unless you splash out for the Deluxe Twin room or the Superior Twin room.

How big are the rooms?

Singles are from 13.5㎡ with 120cm wide beds (they can technically be used by up to two guests), doubles rooms are about the same size but with a 140cm wide bed. Twin rooms are from 18.5㎡ to 21㎡, with two 120cm wide single beds. Deluxe Twin rooms are a big jump up, with 32㎡ of space and two 120cm wide beds. Despite the name, the Superior Twin has the same size beds, but 20㎡ of space.

Are the rooms comfortable?

The design of the single rooms that this writer stayed in was clean and modern. The room was also spotlessly clean. One issue was the slightly loud airconditioning unit, which occasionally made noises as if someone in the room above had set their phone on the floor with vibration notifications switched on.

The sheets and towels were of good quality, although the bed was rather short. Only one pillow is supplied, but more can be requested at the front desk.

The bathroom features a strong but water-inefficient shower. The flow was too strong for the shower holder, so water was directed at the wall. Also a pity that SUI opts for the flimsiest of single-ply toilet paper.

The room features a safe, a small fridge, one or two spare power outlets near the bed, with three to four in the room overall.

What’s the view like?

The room that this writer stayed in was on a lower floor. Although it wasn’t anything to write home about, at least the room didn’t look out onto a wall. Rooms on the upper floors should have a nice view of the surrounding neighborhood, but nothing iconic like some hotels in Shibuya, Shinjuku, or Roppongi.

What’s the location like?

Hotel SUI Akasaka by ABEST is well located for either business or sightseeing in Tokyo. Reaching major retail and entertainment centers like Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Ginza is relatively easy.

How is the access to trains and subway?

The hotel is only a 5 minute walk from Akasaka Station on the Chiyoda Line, and a similar distance to Tameikesannō Station, which is served by the Ginza, Namboku, and Marunouchi Lines. The hotel is halfway up a small hill, so trips to and from the station require just a little up and down walking.

How do I get there from Tokyo’s airports?

As of writing this review, the Limousine Buses services which serve the major hotels throughout the area have not been restored, so your best option is to take the train. If you take the Narita Express to Tokyo Station, you can take the Marunouchi Line and then the Chiyoda Line to Akasaka Station. Alternatively you can catch a taxi for about ¥2,000. If taking the Keisei SkyLiner, you can switch to the Ginza Line at Ueno Station and alight at Tameikesannō Station. If you’re coming from Haneda Airport, take the Keikyū Main Line to Shinbashi Station, change to the Ginza Line, then leave the train at Tameikesannō Station.

What’s the surrounding neighborhood like?

Akasaka is a mixed residential and business neighborhood which is lively on weekdays and usually quiet on weekends. Around the station there are plenty of eating options — both cheap and higher end. If self catering, nearby super markets Yoshiike (just around the corner) and Maruetsu Petit (in the basement of Akasaka Sacas) have plenty of pre-made bento and meals.

Are there many good places to eat nearby?

Akasaka is a district that is well known for its dining options. The area between the hotel and nearby Akasaka Dōri avenue is particularly well known for Korean eateries.

For a wider range of cuisine, check out the nearby Akasaka Sacas complex which has a Belgian brasserie, noodle restaurants, and restaurants with cuisine from Spain, Italy, Portugal, China, Singapore, and of course Japan.

What points of interest are within walking distance of the hotel?

Hie Shrine and Hikawa Shrine are a couple of notable places each within five minutes of the hotel. Roppongi, with its museums, shopping, and nightlife is also within easy walking distance.

Should I order the breakfast?

Breakfast is served at the ground floor restaurant (Easy Point) with a choice of orange juice, water, mugicha and coffee. For the meal, you don’t have any choice. We received a dashichazuke Japanese rice bowl served with an array of pickles. It was nice enough, but if you want some choice, toast, or you have dietary restrictions, you might want to consider the 7-Eleven at the bottom of the Hotel MyStays Akasaka right next door, or heading to Akasaka Sacas for a bread-heavy breakfast at DeliFrance or Espressamente by Illy.

Who should stay here?

The hotel is ideal for single travelers or couples looking for a low-cost base to explore Tokyo. Although the standard rooms are on the small side, it does have some nice common spaces to hang out after a long day of exploring. The staff (perhaps depending on who is on) will give you lots of friendly advice and recommendations.

What sustainability measures do they have?

The corporate website contains platitudes about caring for nature and water, but no details on specific actions that they are taking.

Tips and tricks for the best stay

Take advantage of the shared spaces on the ground floor and the rooftop. If you’re booking in mid winter or the height of summer, weather will limit your ability to utilize the rooftop terrace.