Akasaka must be one of the better locations to stay in Tokyo, with easy access to the rest of the city, and a wealth of places to eat and drink. Just five minutes' walk from the subway station, the (trendily lower-case) b akasaka is a comfortable, modern hotel, in a quieter part of the district but within easy striking distance of the sights and nightlife.
My twin room was slightly compact, done out in tastefully minimal Scandinavian style with wood-look paneling, metal fittings and a glass panel separating bathroom and beds; the corner shower took me a splashy moment to figure out, but the tiled surfaces and tasteful ceramics were much nicer than a business hotel's molded plastic 'unit bathroom'. The standard amenities were present and correct, a fridge, kettle and flat-screen TV, with CNN available as well as Japanese channels. Most importantly, the bed was good and comfortable, giving me a good night's sleep.
Well rested, I went in the morning for the buffet breakfast in the attached Italian restaurant. They had a mix of Japanese food (rice, fish, pickles, miso soup) and western breakfast fare, both heartily English (eggs, sausages, fried potato wedges) and healthy continental (cereal, fruit, croissant-shaped bread rolls). I wasn't in a rush, so I borrowed the daily English-language newspaper from the rack in the lobby and took my own sweet time.
If you need to be online, there's free wi-fi everywhere, internet connections in every room, rental laptops for ¥1000 a night, and a laptop in the lobby for guests to use. There are also washing machines in a little room off the lobby, as well as vending machines for beer, soft drinks and cup noodles. The lobby itself is very pleasant, with tasteful pastel decor, an interesting grass feature, and low lighting that makes it relaxing, but difficult to photograph well.
There are three kinds of rooms here: standard singles, superior twins or superior doubles, which seems a bit hard on solo travelers. The cost varies with the room type, how far in advance you book, and which of their many, many packages you choose, but you can expect to pay something between around ¥12000 and ¥17000 a night. While it's not a luxury hotel, for the comfort and location, these prices represent perfectly good value.
