Thought I would post about this hotel for anyone looking for an inexpensive stay in Tokyo. I am just back from a few weeks in Japan visiting Shimane (western Honshu) and Shikoku where I stayed in my usual business hotels and paid between US$68 and US$80 a night for rooms including breakfast. I was in Tokyo on arrival and for a few days before returning home and stayed at the Lyf Ginza Hotel. Not my usual place but I was meeting friends from the US and New Zealand and somehow this place came up.
It's a bit quirky but the price point is hard to beat as I paid US$92 a night including breakfast. The location is in the area I like to stay at near Tokyo Station. While not really in Ginza (as it is in Kyobashi) it is close - about three or four blocks north of Ginza and about the same distance southeast of Tokyo Station.
The room was small - usually business hotels are small but this room was the smallest I have stayed in Japan though adequate for my needs. It had a shower but no bath tub (and this is the only time in all my trips to Japan I have run into that).
Breakfast was basic but okay - salads, rice, eggs, breads/rolls, cereal, yogurt and beverages. The odd thing is that it is served at the first floor entry but then you need to use the stairs or the elevator to go to the second floor dining area. There are conbinis near by (7-11 very close) and coffee shops as well.
The second floor is its best feature. The reception area is there along with the dining space on one side and tables (with power outlets) on the other side with a large screen tv which I where I was able to watch some of the World Cup while working on my pad. Also on the second floor is a kitchen area with a microwave so you can heat up your conbini meals if you like and the laundry area. So easy to do a laundry and hang out if you wish. The usual amenities (razors, cotton swabs, toothbrushes, etc.) are available near the elevator.
This may not be for everyone but the location and price are really good so may be worth considering especially if you spend most of your time out and about.
One last note - it is also convenient to Haneda. The Keikyu line runs up from Haneda becoming the Asakusa Line and there is a stop about a block east of the hotel. From Terminal 2 at Haneda to the hotel took about 40 minutes. The Ginza line is just to the east a half block from the hotel.