4 Best Hotels in Nihonbashi, Tokyo

Occupying the top nine floors of the glistening Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower, this modern hotel has harmonious rooms, tastefully decorated in shades of brown and featuring such touches as down bedding, luxury linens, in-room newspaper delivery, and large picture windows with city-lights panoramas. Corner rooms have sunken marble tubs that allow you to gaze out windows while soaking. The spa, with its signature body scrubs and massages, and the gym are top-of-the-line. The award-winning restaurants offer modern or traditional cuisine, but if you're suffering extravagance overload (and the accompanying prices) you can take a short stroll toward Tokyo Station, with its variety of tiny watering holes and izakaya (Japanese pubs).

Situated on the first four floors of the sleek Kyobashi Trust Tower, the Courtyard by Marriott is a convenient option for business travelers. The rooms are outfitted in tasteful beiges and browns, but they tend to be small (starting at 170 square feet); a Corner or Queen room is recommended for a little more space. Staff members are skilled in English and provide very attentive service. Though the Lavarock restaurant on the first floor offers a nice bistro menu, drinking and dining opportunities abound in the neighboring area, which includes Ginza. Unlike most hotels in Tokyo, the Courtyard has a smoke-free policy covering the entire building.

One of the most affordable hotels near Tokyo Station (a mere three-minute walk away), the Ryumeikan is a great option for business travelers or those making side trips outside the city. Don't be put off by the drab elevator up to the 15th-floor lobby; things are far smarter elsewhere. Guest rooms have cream-colored walls and dark-brown textiles, and bathrooms feature showers outfitted with a special massage function. Small (188 square feet) single rooms are simply designed, with a curved desk and ergonomic office chair. The hotel's restaurant, Hanagoyomi, serves good Japanese dishes. Bicycle rentals are possible.

This hotel is popular with budget-minded foreign visitors who prefer to stay near the small Japanese restaurants and bars of the Ningyocho area of Nihonbashi. A shallow rock pond and stone lantern welcome you inside, but that's where the graces end. The biggest twin rooms are long and narrow, and the bathrooms are tiny units with low ceilings. The best accommodations are the three tatami-floored rooms on the second floor overlooking a small Japanese garden. Multicourse Japanese meals are available at an extra cost in the restaurant, Kappo Sumisho, and the original Mitsukoshi Department Store is within walking distance.