Toyoko INN Haneda Airport has, for journeys both to and from Tokyo, become one of my preferred options, especially when I am about to return to India or right after I have arrived in Japan.
The main reason is convenience. Toyoko INN Tokyo Haneda Airport No.1 and No.2 are situated right beside one another close to Otorii Station on the Keikyu Airport Line, which is only two Keikyu stations from Haneda Airport Terminal 3. The hotels have been mainly built with the convenience of airport visitors in mind, offering a complimentary breakfast and a free shuttle service that takes guests between the hotels and Haneda Airport. Because of their position, it is also easy to get to Kamata and central Tokyo without having to give up easy access to the airport.
During this trip I also noticed a number of interesting features of the neighbourhood, such as the presence of the Gusto family restaurant, the Veloce coffee shop, Seven-Eleven, and also two izakaya pubs.
At the drugstore directly across the road from the hotel, I spotted a prominently displayed warning written entirely in Hindi:
कृपया सामान खरीदने से पहले बॉक्स न खोलें।
इसे खोलना तोड़-फोड़ माना जाएगा
और हम पुलिस से संपर्क करेंगे।
English translation:
Please do not open the box before you have bought the item, as opening it will be considered as tampering and we will then get in touch with the police.
It was surprising to come across such a specific warning written in Hindi at a drugstore in a neighbourhood of Tokyo. I can only assume that the shop has a sufficient number of Hindi-speaking customers to have concluded that it was necessary to display the message.
This time, while I was staying at the hotel for two nights, Haneda Airport nearly became an extension of the hotel.
Instead of going to the airport only when it came time to fly, I kept going back there simply because it was so near. I would have my coffee there with my laptop, meet up with a friend and walked with her through all three terminals, do some shopping and then go back once more for dinner.
People generally aim to get through airports as quickly as possible, but since your accommodation is only a couple of stations away, Haneda unexpectedly seems like a good place to spend some time. It has cafés, restaurants, shops and lots of room to walk around, thus avoiding the harsh summer heat by staying in air-conditioned buildings.
The room at the Toyoko INN Haneda Airport also had a good view, which provided an additional small pleasure since the stay was essentially a functional one.
I also used Toyoko INN hotels near Narita Airport, and I prefer them for much the same reason. The experience is simple in that it offers a convenient location, a room that is predictable, and an easy starting point before or after a flight.
To me, the predictability is especially valuable when travelling between Japan and India. When a long international journey starts or finishes, I generally don't expect an extensive hotel experience; instead, I just want a place that is convenient, comfortable and easy to get to, without having to include another complicated transfer.
Being a member of the Toyoko INN app also proves beneficial; in my experience the rate I get when booking via the membership system is very competitive, which in turn makes the chain an even easier option when I need a hotel at the airport.
And perhaps that Hindi warning across the road says something about Haneda's increasingly international surroundings. In fact, if a drugstore in Tokyo feels it necessary to advise customers who speak Hindi not to open the boxes before purchasing them, India may not be as distant as it appears.
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