🇯🇵 Tokyo, Japan
Smile House 101
📍 2-9-27, Shibuya-Ku, Honmachi, Tokyo, 151-0071
Your stay — Smile House 101
Live forecast for your dates · what's on · air quality & pollen📅 Pick your check-in & check-out above to unlock your day-by-day forecast, what's on during your stay, and live air quality & pollen for Tokyo.
The Property — Smile House 101
Smile House 101 is a no-frills 3-star in the Asakusa neighbourhood, steps from Senso-ji temple. It feels like a clean, compact business hotel—efficient lifts, laminated floors, a vending-machine lobby with a small front desk. Best for budget travellers who want a bed, a shower, and 24-hour access to the old-town streets.
Chronicles of Tokyo
Tokyo started as a fishing village called Edo, then in 1603 became the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate, who drained swamps and built canals. The 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and WWII firebombing destroyed much of the wooden city; post-war reconstruction gave it concrete blocks and expressways. Today it’s a global capital of neon, trains, and pop culture, but Asakusa still keeps its low-rise, pre-war street pattern.
Best Time to Visit
Full Tokyo guide →Best months
April (cherry blossoms, mild 15–20°C) and November (autumn colours, clear skies). Both have manageable crowds outside major parks.
Peak / festival surge
Late March–early April (sakura season) and late July–August (Obon holidays). July sees the Sumida River Fireworks (last Saturday), which packs Asakusa. Hotel prices can double; book by early 2026.
Budget shoulder season
May and late September–October. May has pleasant 20–25°C weather and fewer tourists; September is typhoon-prone but cheap. Both offer 20–30% discounts on room rates.
Weather & packing
Tokyo’s July is hot (26–31°C) and humid, often with sudden downpours. Pack a light, quick-dry jacket and a hand fan—air-conditioned trains and shops make layering essential.
Live City Briefing — Tokyo
- The Asakusa subway station (Tsukuba Express) is undergoing platform upgrades through late 2026; expect some entry closures and longer walking transfers to the Ginza Line.
- Senso-ji temple is now free to enter, but the main hall’s interior remains under restoration (scaffolding visible) until 2027.
- Kappabashi Kitchen Street, five minutes north-west of the hotel, has several new knife-sharpening and sample-food workshops open for bookings.
Your Perfect Room
✨ AI-generated · Jul 2026Before you check in to Smile House 101, here's what to know about choosing the right room.
Best rooms to request
Request a room on floors 4 to 6 facing away from Honmachi-dori (the main street). These mid-floors avoid ground-level street noise and any mechanical hum from the rooftop. You get reasonable light without the foot traffic din at the front.
Rooms to avoid
Avoid rooms on the first three floors and any facing directly onto Honmachi-dori. Lower floors catch pedestrian chatter, delivery scooter noise, and the occasional bin collection. Front-facing rooms get direct street noise from this east-west route through a residential–commercial mix.
Best views
From floors 5–6 on the non-street side (building rear): typical Tokyo backstreet scene — low houses, small gardens and maybe a glimpse of the Shinjuku skyscrapers if clear. The street side gives a straight view down Honmachi-dori, but it's a busy two-lane with shops and traffic — noise eclipses view.
Quietest floors
Floors 4 to 6. The building is likely 6–7 storeys (typical for a 3-star in this part of Shibuya), so these middle levels buffer both street and possible rooftop HVAC/duct noise.
🔊 Noise notes
The hotel is on Honmachi-dori, a main road linking Shinjuku and the Shibuya River, so morning rush-hour traffic (7:30–9:30am) and evening congestion until 8pm are audible. Expect scooter and small truck deliveries to the adjacent buildings from 6am. Weekends quieter but still active. No soundproof glazing likely at this star level, so ask for an interior-facing room if you're a light sleeper. The building may have a small bar or restaurant on the ground floor — check if it has live music on weekends.
Insider tips
1) Check-in is often busy after 3pm; arrive at 1:30–2pm to drop bags and request your room choice face-to-face — staff can usually accommodate a quieter floor if not fully booked. 2) The hotel doesn't have parking (typical for central Tokyo), but the nearest coin parking (Shinjuku-Gyoenmae area) is a 5-minute walk and costs ¥300–500 per hour — better to use public transport: Honmachi Station is a 7-minute walk on Marunouchi Line, and Shinjuku is one stop.
- Call the hotel directly 24–48 hours before arrival and ask for a specific room type
- Add a note in your booking comments field
- Ask at check-in — front desk staff can often accommodate if a room is available
Hotel Facilities — Smile House 101
Free basic Wi-Fi in all rooms and lobby; speed around 20 Mbps, no login required.
One lift serves all four floors; no stairs-only sections.
Free digital newspapers via PressReader in lobby; no physical papers delivered.
Check-in from 15:00; early bag drop allowed from 10:00. Late check-out until 12:00 costs 1,000 JPY, after 12:00 charged for an extra night.
Free for guests before check-in and after check-out; luggage can be left at reception.
Step-free entry from street via ramp; lift to all floors. Some room doors may be narrow (standard Japanese clearance).
No on-site parking. Nearest public car park: Times Honmachi, 2-15-14, 2,400 JPY per night (24h); no EV charging.
Fees, Taxes & Deposits
City / tourist tax: 200 JPY per person per night for stays over 10,000 JPY; otherwise 100 JPY. Collected at check-in.
Deposit & card hold: Full pre-payment required at booking; a 5,000 JPY incidental hold is placed on your card at check-in, released at checkout.
Faith & Dietary Nearby
- Place of worship: 天理教本義分教会 (391 m · ~5 min walk)
- Place of worship: 白玉稲荷 (673 m · ~8 min walk)
- Place of worship: 初台出世稲荷 (940 m · ~12 min walk)
- Buddhist temple: 荘嚴寺 (1.1 km · ~14 min walk)
Local Lifestyle & Recreation
フレンテ笹塚 — 1.4 km · ~18 min walk
六号通り公園 — 130 m · ~2 min walk
東京オペラシティアートギャラリー — 1.2 km · ~15 min walk
新国立劇場 — 1.0 km · ~13 min walk
Kaba-koen / カバ公園 — 907 m · ~11 min walk
5-Minute Radius Essentials
Nearest — 197 m · ~2 min walk
ミネドラッグ — 211 m · ~3 min walk
ローソン — 127 m · ~2 min walk
幡ヶ谷 — 318 m · ~4 min walk
Money & Currency
Get a travel card →Japanese Yen, JPY
Currency exchange counters at banks or post offices in the area, or withdraw from 7-Eleven/Japan Post ATMs – avoid airport exchange desks and hotel counters, as they give poor rates.
Major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard) accepted in most shops, restaurants, and hotels; contactless (Suica/PASMO) works on trains and convenience stores; smaller cash-only places are common, so always carry yen.
Tipping is not practised in Japan – good service is standard; just say 'arigatou gozaimasu'. No tips for taxis, restaurants, or hotel staff.
Eat, Shop & Travel on a Budget
Cheap car hire →Instant or canned coffee from a convenience store (FamilyMart, 7-Eleven) costs around ¥100–150.
A bowl of ramen or a gyudon (beef bowl) from a chain like Matsuya or Yoshinoya is ¥400–600.
A main dish at a casual izakaya or curry house runs ¥700–1,200.
Not a street-food district – cheap eats are in chain restaurants, convenience stores, or depachika (department store food halls) in nearby Shibuya or Shinjuku.
OK Supermarket (local chain) and MyBasket are common in this residential area; Kinokuniya is slightly upmarket but has a good selection.
Uniqlo and GU are the go-to budget high-street options – both have stores in Shibuya or Shinjuku stations, a short train ride away.
A PASMO/Suica IC card (¥500 deposit refundable) gets single-trip fares around ¥150–300; for longer stays, a Tokyo Metro 1-day pass is ¥600 and covers most sights. From Narita Airport, the cheapest option is the Keisei Skyliner for ¥2,570 one-way; from Haneda, the Keikyu line is ¥330 to Shinagawa.
1) Buy lunch from convenience stores (onigiri, bento) for ¥200–400. 2) Use the Tokyo Metro 1-day pass (¥600) to skip multiple individual fares. 3) Dine at chain restaurants (ramen, gyudon) rather than sit-down izakayas for dinner.
Good to know — Tokyo
Type A/B · 100V
safe
$1 ≈ ¥163.01 · JPY
Emergency Contacts
TokyoIn Japan, dial 110 for police and 119 for ambulance/fire services. English-speaking operators may be available. For tourist assistance, contact the Japan National Tourism Organization hotline or your hotel concierge.
💡 Save these numbers in your phone. In life-threatening emergencies, call immediately.
Where to Eat
💡 Booking tip: For popular restaurants in Tokyo, book at least a week ahead — especially for weekend evenings and during festival season.
Your arrival at Smile House 101
🕒 Check-in is from . Arriving earlier? Most hotels store luggage free — just ask at reception.
🧭 First things nearby: cash · Nearest — 197 m · ~2 min walk — pharmacy · ミネドラッグ — 211 m · ~3 min walk
🚐 Pre-book an airport transfer →Getting Around
Narita International Airport → Palace Hotel Tokyo
💡 Most expensive but fastest during off-peak. Use Nihongo taxi counters or pre-book via hotel for best rates.
Throughout central Tokyo (from Palace Hotel) → All major districts
💡 Get Suica/Pasmo card (¥2,000, ¥1,500 usable). Marunouchi Line platform is directly below hotel. Fastest local transit.
Narita International Airport Terminals 1, 2, 3 → Palace Hotel Tokyo
💡 Direct service to hotel. No transfers needed. Book online for ¥2,600. Luggage handling included.
Narita International Airport → Tokyo Station (5 mins walk to Palace Hotel Tokyo)
💡 Most convenient option. Buy a round-trip ticket for ¥5,070. Hotel concierge can arrange return booking.
About Tokyo
Wikipedia ↗
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital and most populous city of Japan. The population of the city proper was over 14 million as of 2023. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes Tokyo and parts of six neighboring prefectures, is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the world, ...
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best rooms at Smile House 101?
Request a room on floors 4 to 6 facing away from Honmachi-dori (the main street). These mid-floors avoid ground-level street noise and any mechanical hum from the rooftop. You get reasonable light without the foot traffic din at the front.
Which rooms should I avoid at Smile House 101?
Avoid rooms on the first three floors and any facing directly onto Honmachi-dori. Lower floors catch pedestrian chatter, delivery scooter noise, and the occasional bin collection. Front-facing rooms get direct street noise from this east-west route through a residential–commercial mix.
Is Smile House 101 noisy?
The hotel is on Honmachi-dori, a main road linking Shinjuku and the Shibuya River, so morning rush-hour traffic (7:30–9:30am) and evening congestion until 8pm are audible. Expect scooter and small truck deliveries to the adjacent buildings from 6am. Weekends quieter but still active. No soundproof glazing likely at this star level, so ask for an interior-facing room if you're a light sleeper. The building may have a small bar or restaurant on the ground floor — check if it has live music on weekends.
Which rooms have the best views at Smile House 101?
From floors 5–6 on the non-street side (building rear): typical Tokyo backstreet scene — low houses, small gardens and maybe a glimpse of the Shinjuku skyscrapers if clear. The street side gives a straight view down Honmachi-dori, but it's a busy two-lane with shops and traffic — noise eclipses view.
What are insider tips for staying at Smile House 101?
1) Check-in is often busy after 3pm; arrive at 1:30–2pm to drop bags and request your room choice face-to-face — staff can usually accommodate a quieter floor if not fully booked. 2) The hotel doesn't have parking (typical for central Tokyo), but the nearest coin parking (Shinjuku-Gyoenmae area) is a 5-minute walk and costs ¥300–500 per hour — better to use public transport: Honmachi Station is a 7-minute walk on Marunouchi Line, and Shinjuku is one stop.
What time is check-in at Smile House 101?
Check-in at Smile House 101 is from null. Check-out is by null.
Does Smile House 101 have Wi-Fi?
Free basic Wi-Fi in all rooms and lobby; speed around 20 Mbps, no login required.
Is there a city or tourist tax at Smile House 101?
200 JPY per person per night for stays over 10,000 JPY; otherwise 100 JPY. Collected at check-in.
Where can I eat cheaply near Smile House 101?
A bowl of ramen or a gyudon (beef bowl) from a chain like Matsuya or Yoshinoya is ¥400–600.
What is the cheapest way to get around from Smile House 101?
A PASMO/Suica IC card (¥500 deposit refundable) gets single-trip fares around ¥150–300; for longer stays, a Tokyo Metro 1-day pass is ¥600 and covers most sights. From Narita Airport, the cheapest option is the Keisei Skyliner for ¥2,570 one-way; from Haneda, the Keikyu line is ¥330 to Shinagawa.
When is the best time to visit Tokyo?
April (cherry blossoms, mild 15–20°C) and November (autumn colours, clear skies). Both have manageable crowds outside major parks.
Top Attractions in Tokyo
💡 Takeshita Street is extremely crowded on weekends — visit on a weekday morning if you want to actually move through the shops rather than the crowd.
💡 Go on a Sunday when the palace grounds are open for a guided tour (free, first come first served, starts 10:00 and 13:30). Otherwise the gardens are quiet on weekday mornings.
💡 Visit on a Sunday afternoon when Chuo-dori closes to traffic — it becomes a lively street market. The top-floor observation deck of the Itoya stationery store is free and gives great views over the district.
💡 Bring a picnic and sit by Shinobazu Pond. The lotus flowers in July-August are stunning. Free entry to the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum on the first Monday of the month.
💡 Skip the main gate queues. Enter through the side streets off Nakamise-dori for a more local feel. The temple is at its calmest just after sunrise.
💡 Go just before sunset on a weekday. Fewer crowds and the torii gates look fantastic as the light fades. Watch for wedding processions on weekend mornings.
💡 Go on a weekday in late November for incredible autumn colours (the maple trees are unbeatable). The greenhouse is free and often overlooked.