Art Hotel Nippori Lungwood is a modest, well-priced and well-maintained legacy hotel located astride the well-situated and appealing neighborhoods of Nippori (Fabric Town) and historic Yanaka. On my first visit, I fell in love with the easy access from Narita Airport to Nippori Station, the two minute walk from station to hotel, the people at the 24-hour staffed front desk, the business-sized and ultra-clean rooms. The individual air-purifiers were a classic bonus. So too was the easy to figure out washer-dryer combo in the guest laundry. Not to mention that one of the laundry vending machines is stocked for cocktail hour with lemon sours and a Jack Daniels/Coca Cola combo!
The breakfast buffet (Japanese and Western) is definitely to write home about. All the selections are curated, both soulful and home style. A sample charming detail was a fresh fruit cocktail designed to look like old-style canned fruit cocktail - but here served alongside Japanese yogurt and kiwi or strawberry coulis. In that vein, the choice of relishes for rice and fish were traditional yet the variety was luxurious.
Don’t get me wrong, this hotel is neither luxury nor perfect, but it’s not meant to be. It has a clear sense of identity: premium in its heyday; serviceable and well-maintained today; priced for value. These are qualities esteemed in Japan and confirmed by the high number of local and repeat guests, business travelers, wedding parties, rotary clubs, etc. Count me as a repeat.
