Khaosan World Asakusa Ryokan & Hostel

See this bathtub? Look a little closer. It’s lit up, you say, how interesting. It is indeed. It also has a see-through base, which means that anyone lounging in the bedroom below can look up and see your elegantly placed, um, socks. Back in the 80s, when this Asakusa establishment functioned solely as a love hotel, there were certainly more interesting bathtub antics at play here, but today this room has been renovated along with the rest of the hotel to accommodate travellers, so the see-through bathtub remains purely as novelty factor. Which is exactly what’s bound to make Khaosan World Asakusa Ryokan & Hostel a hit with visitors to Japan – the novelty factor. This new branch of the Khaosan group, which owns several similar ryokans in Japan, has cleverly kept many of the original love hotel quirks while updating and modernising the rooms. So what you get is a host of affordable, characterful rooms, each with a theme or feel of its own, in the heart of one of Tokyo’s most popular tourist spots (it’s just near Tokyo Skytree). And if you're keen to try the love hotel experience, you'll be pleased to know that Khaosan Asakusa has kept 20 percent of its rooms aside for curious couples who want to enjoy treats like a personal Jacuzzi, bedside light controls and mirrored walls.

Click here to read our blog post about the hotel.