We were booked into the Akasaka Excel by our tour company and were not sure what to expect. We were very surprised. The hotel bedrooms are being remodelled and this will go on into 2009, so there is some building noise on some floors between 10am and 4pm. We had a double room on the 4th floor that had been recently renovated. It was very stylish. It was small, but about the size you would expect for a big city centre hotel, say in New York, Paris or London. We have stayed in smaller New York rooms that cost more. The bed was a bit hard, but not as hard as other hotels in Japan and China, or even the USA. The pillows were supportive. There were all the usual features, an expresso maker and a large LCD TV with CNN and BBC World. The bathroom was of a high standard and although there was no bath (we never use one) there was a very good shower with a large head, flexible head for reaching those nooks and crannies and a powerful body spray. The room and corridors and lifts were clean. The staff were very always attentive and courteous. This is Japan were smokers seem to out number non-smokers, so make sure that you get a non-smoking room and expect people to smoke in the public areas. The hotel is in a good location just across the road from the metro station and a small shopping mall. There are restaurants and bars, cafes, a Subway and MacDonalds nearby. The Cafe Croissant in the same block is good for breakfast. The West Park Cafe, in the same block upstairs, serves really good burgers at a reasonable price. If we go back to Tokyo we would stay here.

My colleague and myself stayed at this hotel for two nights on a business trip. Luckily we have been to Tokyo before and stayed at one of the Marriott chain hotels and it was lovely. This review and my stay at the Akasaka Excel Hotel will not deter me from traveling to Tokyo anymore, but it has forced me to only book with larger chain hotels from now on. My colleague and myself wanted to stay in a location where we would be close to restaurants, people our age and easy access to public transportation. Akasaka Excel is the perfect hotel for that purpose, but the room that I stayed in was horrible! The room, the walls, the carpet, the tiles in the bathroom smelled like smoke. The room was filthy! The top sheet had two holes, brown stains, and white stains on it. My first reaction was to complain and be placed in a cleaner room, but then my colleague called my room with the same complaint. I was so disgusted at the accommodations of this establishment. I can actually say that the hotel reception area was probably the nicest area of the hotel. The buffet was shabby, but good enough to quench your thirst and suppress your hunger. Unless, you are staying here on transit to another location, DON'T DO IT TO YOURSELF!

I stayed 3 nights in Tokyo and was on business trip. Rooms were very small as usual in Tokyo so it was not very disappointing. Good location from the subway, I do not really remember the name of the station. Across the street, there are many restaurants and there is dennys right next to the hotel and also the Mac Donald. Staffs are very helpful, Disney bus also stops at this hotel. So location is okay, but there are also many hotels available at this price which is more close to downtown like Shinjuku, shibuya.... Breakfast was not so satisfactory though.

The hotel has very small rooms, I was told this is the case in any Tokyo hotel. TV has not much to offer, I discovered only one English channel, CNN. Good Internet/broadband connection, complimentary. Overall setting a bit worn out, clean but not shining. Reception staff very efficient, checking in/out does not take them more than a few minutes. Breakfast fine, good choice of warm/cold meals and nice views. Location very convenient for shopping, touristic restaurants and public transport. All in all, it was fine for a conference travel, not having to spend too much time in the hotel.

I chose this hotel more for the price than anything, as Tokyo hotels can run quite high. The location turned out to be an excellent one, just across from Akasaka-Mitsuke station making it very easy to get to the popular areas in Tokyo without any hassle. The staff are very nice and helpful. The rooms have blackout shades; they certainly came in handy as the sun came up about an hour and half earlier than I’m used to at home. The drawbacks were the bed and the pillows. We didn’t have to ask the staff to switch out the rice pillow. A foam one was also on the bed, but it was not much better. The bed was pretty hard. If you prefer firm beds, then this place is perfect for you. We like something a little softer however. We really only slept because we were exhausted from jet lag and sightseeing. One other thing to mention; the room has it’s own climate control, however you won’t get any A/C unless it has been turned on for the whole building (the fan will just run otherwise). You can however open the windows to let in some cool air. This works better if you've asked for a room on the backside of the hotel, not facing the busy street. A Citibank is conveniently close by to make cash withdrawals on your US ATM card a snap. We ate at the Suteki Kuni steak house a few doors down from the hotel - excellent choice! We also ate at the Hobgoblin Pub a few blocks away (see their website for directions) just so Hubby could get an Aussie beer and I could get a British cider; it was a treat as we can't get either in the States. There's a 7-11 right in the hotel building, and a Subway and McD's close by if you're all worn out on being an adventurous eater. If you're still in the adventurous mood, the streets on the other side of McD's are filled with possibilities. Internet is available at the hotel, but it's a pay-by-coin-slot type of arrangement. If you decide to take a cab to the hotel, it's easier for the driver to understand Akasaka-Mitsuke station(pronounced "mitts-kay") than giving him the hotel name.