Introduction

I just landed in Haneda on a JAL flight from Sydney. My flight arrived at 17h43. An hour later, I’m already walking up to reception at the hotel to collect my key. I chose this hotel mainly because my onward connection tomorrow will leave before ten in the morning. If I want to be at the airport two hours before departure, that would mean leaving central Tokyo painfully early in the morning.

Location

The Mercure Tokyo Haneda Airport is five minutes on foot from Otorii Station on the Keikyu Line. If you’re coming from the international Terminal 3, Otorii is the third stop. The closest exit to the hotel at Otorii is the east exit. However, if you’re using your credit card instead of a ticket, you’re going to have to walk all the way to the west exit because that’s where the electronic gates with credit card readers are located.

Check-In

The hotel looks as though it only recently opened. The entrance is quite spectacular. Coming in from the outside, the heavy black doors open to reveal a colourful mural facing the entrance. Reception is to the right.

The friendly young man at reception speaks excellent English. He makes quick work of checking me in and inquires if I’ll be heading back to Haneda tomorrow. Apparently, the hotel has a complimentary shuttle that runs to the airport every thirty minutes. The journey to Terminal 3 is fifteen minutes.

Superior Room with two Single Beds

My room is rather untypical of Japanese hotels. It’s certainly a lot nicer than the Narita Hilton. The floor is bare wood. There is only carpeting right under the bed. It’s also a good size, especially for Tokyo, where rooms tend to be rather small.

There are two wide single beds in the room. The mattress is firm and the linen feels nice and crisp.

The bathroom is exceptionally small. But if I keep my elbow movements in check, I can rinse my armpits without constantly hitting something. However, the shower is divine – good pressure, no spillage!

Amenities

The room has a kettle and a Nespresso machine. As an AllAccor Diamond member, the minibar is complimentary. It’s mostly soft drinks and water, but there’s also Japanese beer.

As a welcome gift, there’s a personalized card, a bottle of Perrier and two packets of Japanese rice crisps on the table. Bathrobes and slippers are available in most hotels in Japan.

Dining

There is just the one restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel, which is where breakfast is served. The selection for breakfast is rather good. There’s an extensive buffet with Japanese options, in addition to a hot and cold western style buffet.

Conclusion

The Mercure Tokyo Haneda Airport Hotel is quite unusual and so untypically Japanese that I’m wondering just how popular it is with the local crowd. My impression is that it caters mainly to a foreign, predominantly western clientele. This was only a brief stay, but I rather enjoyed it.