The Gate Hotel Kaminarimon

Overview

The Gate is located on the top floors of a rather dour 14- storey former office block. However, once inside the hotel’s clean-lined design – by the architect Shigeru Uchida – contrasts starkly with its exterior and also the historic neighbourhood it sits within. As soon as you enter the 13th floor lobby (lobby & restaurant up top / rooms on the floors  below…such is the Japanese way!), you’ll be aware you have set foot in a rather remarkable contemporary hotel, with an overtly cool design tone - circular leather seating, abstract light sculptures and ceiling-to-floor windows…it’s all about the art.

The 35 rooms err on the edgy / sultry, with walls and floors of dark grey or bottle green alongside splashes of red or dark blue fabric art. Think minimalist, though sumptuous, with splashes of light accentuating brooding dark corners. All have views of either Sensoji temple or the Tokyo Skytree.

The room categories range from their aptly named ‘Modest’ semi-double, all the way up to a luxury two bedroom suite, some of which even have the option of a balcony. One of the most popular rooms is the ‘Classy Room’, offering plenty of space for a comfortable double, twin or even triple bed configuration, as well as a separate seating area to enjoy the fabulous views out over the city.

Bright bathrooms are kitted out with stand up rainfall-style showers, while the toilet—yes, one of those Japanese types with buttons—is in a fully separate room. The products are a unique perk, all made in Japan by GemiD, a homegrown, naturally sourced label that customizes the hotel’s Darjeeling-tea-infused toiletries.

Location

Just across the road is the monument from which the hotel takes its name, the Kaminarimon Gate - the main entrance to the Sensō-ji temple, which dates back well over a thousand years. This is the atmospheric, eastern district of Asakusa– the pleasure district of ancient Tokyo. The area has a more neighborhood feel, populated with predominantly low- and medium-rise buildings and there are numerous arts and crafts and souvenir shops, as well as restaurants serving traditional dishes.

But for all that, you’re not far from modern Tokyo, either — the closest metro lines offer direct access to the madness of Ginza, Aoyama, and Shibuya if Asakusa's antiquated environs overwhelm you. Over the river, close by and dominating the view is Tokyo Sky Tree, the combination broadcasting tower and observation platform that now distantly dwarfs the city’s skyline.