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Tokyo · Hotel shortlist

The best hotels in the old town, Tokyo

Mei-Lin Zhou

Mei-Lin Zhou Japan

Updated 1 September 2026 · 94 Tokyo hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Tokyo, out of the 94 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.8 down to 4.5.

MIMARU Tokyo Hatchobori is the one I would book myself.

MIMARU Tokyo Hatchobori

Highest rated of the five

MIMARU Tokyo Hatchobori

★★★★★4.8 from 1,595 reviews

MIMARU Tokyo Hatchobori comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.8 from 1,595 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 4 star property, found under old town and around $180 a night on the dates we checked.

94 hotels in Tokyo qualified for this list and five made it. GRAND MONday ASAKUSA(Former:MONday Apart Premium Asakusa) is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze
  • Kitchenettebreakfast on your own schedule
  • Step free accesslevel entry and a lift

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All five, ranked

  1. MIMARU Tokyo Hatchobori1

    MIMARU Tokyo Hatchobori

    ★★★★★4.8 from 1,595 reviews

    • Kitchen
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

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  2. GRAND MONday ASAKUSA(Former:MONday Apart Premium Asakusa)2

    GRAND MONday ASAKUSA(Former:MONday Apart Premium Asakusa)

    ★★★★★4.9 from 630 reviews

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    • Imperial Hotel Tokyo3

      Imperial Hotel Tokyo

      ★★★★★4.5 from 12,765 reviews

      • Pool
      • Spa
      • Gym
      • Restaurant
      • Bar
      • Parking

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    • The Tokyo Station Hotel4

      The Tokyo Station Hotel

      ★★★★★4.5 from 3,808 reviews

      • Spa
      • Gym
      • Restaurant
      • Bar
      • Parking
      • Kid friendly

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    • Shangri-La Tokyo5

      Shangri-La Tokyo

      ★★★★★4.5 from 3,237 reviews

      • Pool
      • Spa
      • Gym
      • Restaurant
      • Bar
      • Parking

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    How this list was put together

    94 Tokyo hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

    Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

    The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

    What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

    Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

    Mei-Lin Zhou

    Mei-Lin Zhou Japan

    Works agency hours in Vancouver and spends all 18 vacation days abroad. One new country and one repeat visit per year. Five trips to Japan and a running list of ramen shops.

    Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.