&AND hostel review

&And Hostel Review | My Experience At Japan's 1st Smart Hostel!

09 July 2024Ava Sato

&And hostel is the first smart hostel in Japan! Check out this &And hostel review to stay at one of the best hostels in Japan!

Considering a stay at &And Hostel? This review dives in! Explore the hostel’s vibe, amenities, location, and what fellow travelers think. Find out if &And Hostel offers the perfect social or budget-friendly experience for your adventure.

&And Hostel Review

&And Hostel shines for its prime Akihabara location, just a few minutes from the station. Dorms and private rooms are clean and comfortable, with friendly staff happy to help. However, the hostel can get lively, so light sleepers might want to consider earplugs or a private room.

&And HOSTEL provides a dedicated smartphone instead of a key during check-in. Aside from unlocking the room, its most appealing feature is that you can easily operate various room appliances like indoor lights, television, and air conditioners by simply tapping on the smartphone.

You can actually control the color and intensity of the lights in your room through your smartphone. You can also change the TV channel, increase or decrease the volume, record your favorite shows – all through the smartphone app.

and hostel asakusa
Source: andhostel.jp

You can also control your AC settings through the app and also switch it on before you enter the room! You can even open and close the curtains with the app! Now isn’t that a winner? If this isn’t the definition of convenience, I don’t know what else is!

Next, in this &And Hostel review, we’ll check out its key features

Key Features Of The IoT Room At The &And Hostel:

Generally, it is necessary to use a dedicated application in order to use each IoT device, but &And Hostel integrates all of them into one single application. Controlling all these smart appliances in your room with a single smartphone app made me feel like I was in a futuristic movie!

  • There are many pre-set commands on the &IoT smartphone app such as “Wake up!”, “I’m home!”, “Go out!”, “Concentrate”, “Relax”, “Sleep”.
  • For example, when you tap the “Wake up!” button, the curtains open, the lights turn on, refreshing music flows from the smart speaker, and the air purifier is activated, creating a comfortable environment so wake up refreshed and ready to do all your tourist-y things!
  • Although the applications are available only in English and Japanese, I was told that “It is designed to be visually operable even if the words cannot be understood”. This is a nice touch for foreign tourists who don’t speak either of these languages.
&and hostel akihabara
Source: andhostel.jp
  • When I actually experienced the IoT room, the way the room changed quickly with just one tap was entertaining – fun-filled experience for sure!
  • At the &And Hostel, apart from the dedicated smartphone, you can also use a special tablet called the “tabii” in the guest room. You can use this device to search for supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, and tourist attractions around the hostel!
and hostel minamisenju
Source: andhostel.jp
  • Even the corridor lights seem to change to reflect the weather outside! For example, if it’s a sunny day, the lights of the corridor remain white and if it’s a cloudy or rainy day then the corridor lights change to blue!
  • One of the reasons why tourists choose hostels is to interact with others. To cater to this, the application also has a function to check the activity status of the lounge or common area. Foreign tourists seem to enjoy an environment that makes it easy to communicate. “People gather in the common space on the first floor to have a little look”. I made a lot of friends there from different countries, during my stay
&and hostel akihabara
Source: andhostel.jp
  • Even the availability of the shower room or shared bathroom can be checked on the application. I have stayed in hostels before, and this system to check the availability of the shower room is much appreciated because it is troublesome to go back and forth to check if the rooms are occupied every single time
  • And it obviously goes without saying, there’s free WiFi available all throughout the property.
  • You are also offered laundry service
  • An “IoT ROOM” equipped with an IoT device starts from 8500 yen to 12,800 yen. In addition to Philips Hue for lighting, MESH, iRemocon etc. can be used.

Keep reading this &And Hostel review to find out which is the best location for you to choose!

Related: For a unique experience just like this hostel, check in to one of these budget capsule hotels in Tokyo!

&And Hostel Review of Locations

&And hostels are located in Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka in Japan. 3 in Osaka city, 6 in Tokyo city, and 1 in Fukuoka city. All the properties are in close proximity to the train station and popular attractions. This is especially what I loved about &And Hostel. It makes going around the city really convenient. You can check out all their hostels here!

So here’s the lowdown on all the &And hostel locations and room prices. Check it out!

&And Hostel review of Tokyo Locations And Room Prices

&And Hostel Minamisenju Review

This property is located right in the city center so malls, convenience stores, restaurants, and cafes are only a stone’s throw away from this &And Hostel. Click here to book!. Popular tourist destinatiosn nearby Lala Terrace Minamisenju, Sekido Museum and Shofukuji Temple

  • 30 km away from Tokyo Haneda Airport, Tokyo
  • About 6-minute walk from the Minami-Senju railway station
  • 2 km away from the Sensoji-temple
  • 2 km away from the Sumida Park
  • 11 minute walk from Jokanji Temple
  • 14-minute walk from Susano Shrine
  • 1.1 km from Ichiyo Memorial Museum

The hostel has non smoking rooms with free wifi and laundry service.

Check in time 4:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Check-out time 11:00 AM
Reception 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Lounge/Dining 24 hours
Phone 03-6806-7663
Mail reservation_minamisenju@andhostel.jp

Location:

&And Hostel Minamisenju Room Prices And Types

  • #1 — IoT Double Room

Price: ~ JPY 7,500

and hostel minamisenju
Source: andhostel.jp
  • #2 — Double Room

Price: ~ JPY 6,500

tokyo hostels
Source: andhostel.jp
  • #3 — Twin Room (with bunk bed)

Price: ~ JPY 7,000

and hostel asakusa
Source: andhostel.jp
  • #4 — Male/Female dormitory room

Price: ~ JPY3,000

&and hostel akihabara
Source: andhostel.jp

Click here to book through their official site!

Related: Here are some more affordable Tokyo hostels for solo travelers!

&And Hostel review of Kuramae West

This property is also conveniently located near several restaurants and cafes. You’ll also find several tourist attractions around this property. Click here to book! The nearest airport is about 16km away.

The hostel is located in the Taito Ward district of Tokyo. The hostel is only 8-minute walk from Choju-in Temple. The Eiken-ji Temple is only a 10 minute walk.

The hostel has a shared bathroom which is always kept clean. You’ll also find a hairdryer in the bathroom. The hostel also provides free wifi.

  • 16.6 km away from Haneda Airport, Tokyo
  • About 6-minute walk from the Shin-Okachimachi station.
  • 0.4 km away from the Choju-in temple
  • 0.4 km away from the Shishiki shrine
  • 0.5 km away from the Hokusai Katsushika’s Tomb
  • 2.3 km away from Tokyo Skytree
Check-in 4:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Check-out 11:00 AM
Reception 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Lounge/Dining 8:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Phone 03-5829-5813
Mail reservation_kuramaewest@andhostel.jp

Location

&And Hostel review of Kuramae West Room Prices And Types

  • #1 — IoT Double Room

Price: ~ JPY 8,800

and hostel minamisenju
Source: andhostel.jp
  • #2 — Double Room

Price: ~ JPY 8,800

&and hostel akihabara
Source: andhostel.jp
  • #3 — Mixed Dormitory room

Price: ~ JPY3,200

and hostel minamisenju
Source: andhostel.jp

Click here to book through their official site!

Related: Tokyo is filled with unique experiences. Check out this Tokyo itinerary to include all exciting activities during your trip!

&and Hostel review of Asakusa

This property in the heart of Tokyo and accessing major attractions or stores for everyday shopping is only a short walk away! Click here to book!

The Matsuba Park is only a few steps away form this hostel. The hostel is only about 300 m from the Rinko-ji Temple. The hostel rooms features private bathrooms and also has air conditioner. The hostel also provides free WiFi.

  • 18 km away from Haneda International Airport, Tokyo
  • About 7-minute walk from the TSUBUKA express line Asakusa station.
  • 0.1 km away from the Kinryu Parl
  • 0.5 km away from the Akiba Shrine
  • 0.5 km away from the Sogenji Temple
  • 0.5 km away from the Kappabashi-dori Shopping Street
  • 2 km away from Tokyo Skytree
Check-in 4:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Check-out 11:00 AM
Reception 8:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Lounge/Dining 24 hours
Phone 03-5811-1580
Mail reservation_asakusa@andhostel.jp

Location:

&And Hostel review of Asakusa Room Prices And Types

  • #1 — IoT Double Room

Price: ~ JPY 9,000

tokyo hostels
Source: andhostel.jp
  • #2 — Twin Room (with bunk bed)

Price: ~ JPY 8,500

and hostel asakusa
Source: andhostel.jp
  • #3 — Dormitory Room/Family Room

Price: ~ JPY4,000

&and hostel akihabara
Source: andhostel.jp

Click here to book through their official site!

Related: An experience you cannot miss out on is the Cherry Blossom season in Tokyo. Check out the forecast to plan your trip!

&And Hostel review of Kanda

This property is close to multiple train stations so going around the city will not be a problem at all! Click here to book!

Edo Tokyo Museum is only a 20-minute walk from the hostel. All rooms in the hostel have air purifier. The hostel provides shared bathroom facilities and toilets. If you book a private room, the hostel provides you with toothbrushes. The shared bathrooms provides shampoo and conditioner too. All rooms in the hostel are non smoking rooms. In fact, the hostel itself is a non smoking hostel.

  • 15.1 km away from Haneda Airport, Tokyo
  • About 3-minute walk from the Kodemmacho station

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