The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon by Hulic

The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon is a small, chic, boutique hotel in central Asakusa which opened in 2012. Designed by the celebrated interior designer, Shigeru Uchida, this hotel offers stylish comfort at very reasonable prices. This hotel is also conveniently placed for Sensoji Temple, all the local Asakusa railway stations, and a great selection of local shops and restaurants.

Guest Rooms

The Gate Hotel has a range of beautifully designed rooms and suites with semi-double, double, twin or triple bed options. Smoking and non-smoking rooms are available.

All rooms are equipped with Slumberland bedding, a plasma television, a refrigerator, a writing desk, an electric kettle, a combined air purifier and humidifier, a hair dryer, a Nespresso machine, cotton nightwear and a safety deposit box. Tea, green tea, coffee, and mineral water are also supplied. Private bathrooms are equipped with a Radiance shower and supplied with amenities such as a hairbrush, toothbrush, shaving razor, cotton buds, and hand cream. The shampoo, conditioner, and body soap are all-natural products from the Japanese “GemiD” brand of cosmetics.

All rooms have free Wi-Fi internet access and there are LAN cables in the desk drawers.

Check Room Rates and Availability

Breakfast & Dining

Breakfast is a “half buffet” with a choice between four main dishes from the menu supplemented by an all-you-can eat buffet of organic vegetables, fruits and pasta dishes. The four a la carte items are eggs benedict, French toast, and two variations on eggs benedict; one featuring curry, and the other rice instead of bread. Breakfast is served between 6.30 and 10.00 and costs 2,160 yen.

The restaurant is located on the 13th floor and is open 24 hours a day so you can have a full meal any time you like. There are smoking and non-smoking seats and fantastic views over the city with Tokyo Sky Tree most prominent in the foreground. The menu is that of a French bistro with some Japanese elements and includes meat, fish, and vegetarian options and a great wine list. There is a bar area with the restaurant, and also another smaller bar on the 14th floor open terrace which also enjoys magnificent night views.

Services & Facilities

This hotel has a 24 hour front desk and an English speaking concierge service. You can ask for advice on the best sights to see, the best restaurants to eat at, and local events and be sure of a helpful and cheerful response. Luggage can be stored at the front desk and there is also a courier service for sending your luggage ahead to your next destination.

A limited number of laptop computers are available to borrow from the front desk.

Same day laundry services are available at the front desk for a fee. However, these services are not available on Sundays and holidays.

In-room massages can be arranged on request.

Individual paintings and other artworks chosen by Professor Katsuhiko Hibino of Tokyo University of Arts are on display throughout the hotel.

There is a free live jazz performance in the restaurant at the end of every month.

If you like the hotel’s own brand nightwear you can actually buy some to take home with you. The hotel also sells its own brand coffee, curry, and incense.

This hotel uses LED lighting, solar energy, a latent heat storage system, and other energy efficient technologies to reduce its CO₂ output by 31%.

The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon Location Map

The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon is located on the same street as Sensoji Temple’s Kaminarimon (or “Thunder Gate”) and is a 6 minute walk from the temple itself. The Asakusa Pier for Tokyo Cruises is a 5 minute walk away, and Tokyo Sky Tree is a strollable 20 minutes away.

All the Asakusa stations are nearby: Tokyo Metro Ginza Line is 2 minutes away, Toei Asakusa Subway Line is 3 minutes away, Tobu Asakusa Station is 4 minutes away, and TX Asakusa Station is 8 minutes away. Both Haneda and Narita airports are easily reached via Toei Asakusa Station.

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Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.