The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon by Hulic was our home in Tokyo. Three nights in this elegant yet modern hotel was a treat on our visit to this amazing city.

The hotel itself, located in the popular and historical area of Asakusa in the northeast of Tokyo, is very new. It was opened in 2012, but is well maintained and still has a fresh appearance and smell.

Upon arrival at The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon we knew that the place would be ideal for us to rest after our day tours around Tokyo, and that was true. At night, we were always anxious to get to the hotel and enjoy its marvelous views. Noah had a different wish – he wanted to get to the hotel for its cartoons 🙂 (we’re getting really flexible with him lately, and let him watch more cartoons than he normally does – in a controlled way of course).

Being welcomed to a high level – literally

It came as a surprise to us that the hotel lobby is located on the 13^th floor! Before getting there I still had my doubts that a reception could be anywhere other than the ground floor where guests always arrive.

But once you get there you immediately understand the reasons.

In that region the buildings are normally smaller than The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon by Hulic, and that allows a rather beautiful perspective of the city from the second-top floor of the hotel. Both during the day and at night the view is magnificent, but on a personal note, we preferred it much more at night with all the lights of the buildings and streets.

The reception itself is welcoming. Guests are immediately invited to sit in the couch by the windows while the staff look up your reservation (I believe on purpose), and from there you can relax and enjoy the views.

We arrived at the hotel early, and the available rooms were still being cleaned. Since we wanted to start exploring Tokyo ASAP, we told them that we would come back in the evening, after our tour.

During the day we still had to meet our friend Roberto and his wife Eliza, who kindly invited us for lunch at a delicious sushi restaurant (I’m not really into raw fish, but there were some great fried options 🙂 ). After a few more stops around the city we finally arrived back at the hotel, and it was already night-time.

The views at night with all the lights from the houses and streets were beautiful. After check-in at The Gate Hotel our host invited us to their own Octoberfest on the top floor (one flight of stairs up). That’s where the B Bar is located, serving a wide range of cocktails.

Wow! The views were even more amazing, since we were outside and could look around more easily. They were serving several types of beer from different countries. I don’t drink much beer (normally only when I’m among friends to “fraternize” 🙂 ) but decided to try a Japanese beer. And there I was, drinking beer on the top floor of the hotel with breath-taking views …

Meanwhile Ruth was taking pictures and Noah was playing around the water mirror. I’m more the type of person to enjoy the moment to its fullest.

Our room at The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon by Hulic

We stayed in the Essential Twin room, which was very elegant, decorated in a beautiful dark color with plenty of space for the 3 of us.

There was a wide-screen TV and a small table with two comfortable chairs that we used to work a bit on the blog.

The washroom was also a good space, especially when you compare it to other houses and hotels in Japan where the bathrooms are very small and you can barely walk around without tripping over the furniture there.

Apart from that the room had several amenities, which included an iron, a mini bar, toiletries and air conditioning.

As usual we asked our contacts at The Gate Hotel if we could visit other types of room so we could include the pictures here in the article.

We had the chance to see the:

Suite Balcony King;

Suite The Gate; and

Classy King

Apart from those there are 3 other types of rooms of different sizes and prices at The Gate Hotel.

The restaurant and our food experience at The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon by Hulic

Normally we stay in on at least one night to try the food served in the restaurant (not counting the breakfast of course).

Since we had plenty of things to see in Tokyo and not very many days, we were only able to try the R Restaurant & Bar on one night, but it was enough to be able to give honest positive feedback about the food and the services. The restaurant, which is in the style of a French bistro, is located just next to the reception and waiting area (with those amazing views) and it is open 24 hours for guests of the hotel. That is a big plus, as normally restaurants are open late but not 24 hours for guests. They don’t have room service, but who needs that when you have a beautiful restaurant with great views, serving delicious dishes.

The R Restaurant & Bar at The Gate Hotel serves a variety of types of food, including seafood, pasta, omelets, meat, etc. There’s a varied menu to fulfil the needs of any guests. The wine and cocktails list is also diverse, and includes local options as well as drinks from other countries.

We chose a Caesar salad, pasta and an omelet for Noah, accompanied by garlic bread and Spanish ham (jamón serrano). It is noticeable when the food is fresh, and that was the case during our dinner. Everything was delicious and it was just a pity we couldn’t have dinner there on other nights.

Later that evening, while Noah and Ruth were sleeping, I went upstairs (that’s right, upstairs – we were on the 7^th floor and the reception and restaurant were on the 12^th) to work a little bit. I then took the opportunity to do some work with those views while having some ice cream, in a very relaxing environment. There’s high speed Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, so it was easy to connect everywhere.

Breakfasts at The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon by Hulic were also a must. There was delicious fresh orange juice – squeezed in front of us by the way – fruit, eggs, bread, tea, cereal, honey (with the honeycomb…) etc. A complete breakfast.

They always offer a menu with 4 options for breakfast – we chose scrambled eggs and French toast – all of which came with an accompaniment. You can then serve yourself at the buffet.

We enjoyed that as we were able to order a fresh breakfast while also enjoying the options on the buffet.

The area surrounding The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon by Hulic

The Gate Hotel is conveniently located a 2-minute walk from the Asakusa metro station, which is ideal for guests who need to take public transport to either visit the city or go to work.

The beautiful Senso-ji Temple, Tokyo’s oldest temple, is walking distance from the hotel and it is a great option to visit at night. Along the path leading to the temple, visitors can enjoy the small kiosks serving food and selling souvenirs. That’s where we went on one of the nights. It was a nice atmosphere and it was beautiful to see people dressed up in traditional Japanese yukata.

In addition to that, the Tokyo Skytree Tower is almost in front of the hotel, and from the reception or the R Restaurant & Bar guests have a privileged view.

There are several bars and restaurants in the area, so if we wished we could’ve dined really close to the hotel. And finally the Asakusa Shrine, built during the Edo Period (1603-1868), is also nearby.

Tokyo is a city with plenty of accommodation options to suit various budgets, and we cannot complain about our choice. We had a very pleasant stay in an outstanding hotel that is really well located. It is perfect for local guests as well as international visitors, individuals, couples or families (like us), and whether you are coming for business, on holiday or just to relax a bit, this hotel is highly recommended.

Many thanks Ms. Minagawa and Ms. Hayama for having us at The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon by Hulic.

Family Travel Secrets stayed at The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon by Hulic as guests. All opinions and the oodles of pictures remain our own.