Claska is the only stylish, small and independent hotel option in Tokyo.

But if you want a Tokyo stay with a tower view of neon lights, then Claska won't be for you. Claska gives you a 'neighbourhood' view of the city rather than the London West End or NYC Midtown equivalent, for me a good thing. The staff are friendly and helpful with pretty good English skills. The bar/cafe does good Continental and Japanese food and is a great hang out. There's also a rooftop, a gallery and a 2nd floor shop full of J-design.

Importantly it's not difficult to get to/from, if you've ever used a city metro system, and Tokyo's translates everything into English. At the bus stop, 50m from Claska, all the buses go to Meguro station, a 15 minute hop, and then you're on the Yamanote line which is the main metro artery for everywhere in Tokyo. So don't let what you've read about location put you off Claska.

What stops Claska getting a 5-star review is the slightly too functional rooms, though that's very Japanese and an overall lack of absolute WOW factor in most aspects.

My experience with Claska hotel began well in advance of actually staying there so on arrival on the very late evening of 16 October 2012, I was not surprised by the level of personalised service I had come to expect.

I had started emailing Claska on a semi regular basis a month to 6 weeks before arriving asking them to make restaurant reservations for me (not only in Tokyo but also in Osaka which they were only too happy to do) and also asking for advice and recommendations on a variety of of things. They were always prompt and informative with their replies and really looked after me. I always got the impression that they genuinely cared and that nothing was too much trouble.

I found the hotel to be quirky and artsy, great views from the roof : I believe that they sometimes hold yoga classes up there on certain days of the month. Unfortunately not while I stayed. The bar/restaurant area was small and cosy and had a great atmosphere at all times of the day : An eclectic mix of people ranging from families, to business people to foreign travellers etc. There was also a couple of shops which were great but pricey.

I stayed in one of the specially designed rooms for 1 person "Someone's Atelier" designed by Norihiko Terayama. While it was a small room (usual for Japanese standards), It was big enough for 1 person for a few nights. It was also quirky but generally had a good feeling about it if a little isolated. Amenities were excellent in the room and the unusual modular self contained bathroom was a surprise (Not for the tall, so beware : my 6ft4 partner would have found it difficult.). I personally found the bathroom to be cosy and adequate though no bench space to speak of, just a sink attached to the wall, toilet and shwr over deep square bath.

There was a TV, ipod dock,safe, kettle, tea - but it was still fairly basic just done in a nice way. I did find a little dust and a few hairs floating around on the desk plus an old receipt, so perhaps the housekeeping could have payed more attention to detail on this front, but to be honest, it didn't bother me too much.

I had originally planned to stay in one of the top rooms at Claska with my partner for a week but moved to another hotel due to dates so would have loved to have seen the quality of these rooms in comparison and for future reference. Going by the photos on the website and being there in person, I am sure they would have more than lived up to expectation.

I had really wanted to stay at Claska after reading about it and am glad that I had a few days by myself at the beginning of our trip so that I could experience it and the area. Its a 5 min cab ride from the Meguro station (JR rail pass holder station) and a delightful 20-30 minute lazy walk stopping here and there to browse the great retro/vintage and cool furniture stores along the way. I enjoyed Meguro immensely.

In conclusion, my stay with Claska was great and I would recommend it to all travellers. The service was the stand out feature of this hotel. A month later I was still in contact with Claska asking them to assist me with things which they did without hesitation. Great for the solo traveller and great for the romantic rendezvous if you can manage a higher end room. A pleasure.

I stayed at the Claska for 3 nights in September and had a great stay. I transferred to this hotel for a personal stay after being in Tokyo for a week for business. After coming from a very business-oriented hotel, I was happy to be in a design-centric, chic hotel that was full of hip Japanese locals, friendly staff and chic visitors. It was also incredibly affordable. Worth noting, however, that it is in a relatively difficult to reach, but very local, part of the city.

The room I stayed in was Room 702, which is an artist-decorated room. It was VERY unique, and certainly not for everyone. It was like staying in an art installation, and the furniture and furnishings were lined and accented with (no joke) mutilated stuffed animals (see my attached photos). The bed in my room was a bit uncomfortable, though, to be honest. The hotel has several types of rooms, so you can of course choose a room that suits your taste. The rooms are all relatively small, which is typical in Tokyo, and the bathroom in mine was a bit lackluster. That being said, the toiletries were top notch and service was great. I don't know if they do room service well, as I opted to eat in the chic hotel restaurant for breakfast and dinner when at the hotel.

The thing that really set this hotel apart for me was the vibe of the hotel. The lobby bar and restaurant had a consistent cast of effortlessly cool design types, mostly Japanese. The decor of the lobby was very chic. The staff, also, were incredibly friendly and helpful, great with giving directions and offering to help with anything I may have needed assistance with (asking if I needed a towel when coming in from the rain, offering to book me a ticket to the Ghibli Museum when I expressed interest in going, organizing my trip back to Narita Airport, etc.) The second floor has a design shop, called Do, which is full of great finds by local designers and artists. And the third floor played host to private parties and events each night that I was there, further filling the hotel with the cool, artistic locals which make this hotel just so effortlessly hip.

The only downside that needs to be mentioned about this hotel is the location in proximity to central Tokyo. I was a bit shocked at how difficult it was to reach by train, and how expensive it was to reach by cab. A relatively short cab ride from Shibuya cost me about $25 - $30, and the closest train station is a 15 minute walk away. The more convenient train station (part of Tokyo Metro rather than on the JR line) is located a short bus ride away, or a 25 minute walk. This means that if you are sightseeing for the day, you basically will be out all day and not able to make a pit stop back at the hotel to refuel or rest. Also, after a long day sightseeing, you probably won't want to trek back into the city for nightlife or dinner unless you splurge on a cab, which as mentioned is quite expensive.

Nonetheless, part of the charm of this place is that it's in a very local neighborhood, Meguro, which is full of non-touristy restaurants and shops, full of design shops and antique stores along Meguro-dori, and in close proximity to the equally hip neighborhoods of Daikanyama and Nakameguro.

All in all, I would recommend this hotel for someone on their second or third trip to Toyko, who wants a more local, unique feel and doesn't mind relaxing in the evenings at the hotel or exploring the local neighborhood in their downtime rather than trekking back and forth into central Tokyo.

Claska was a bit of lucky find. Very hip and beautifully designed, Claska was a great stay for a someone flying solo or a couple. I stayed on the fifth floor.

Its a busy, small boutique hotel so book early. Its not at all pretentious. Not a chain which gets brownie points from me.

Japanese beds are normally rock-hard - its the same here. Great amenities - all in house deigned. Restaurant is interesting and quirky. I had the set menu that had an Italian and UK influence. People can smoke in the restaurant which is slightly irritating.

Location - It's a bit out of the centre. Cabs take ages to get around so I suggest you go to Meguro station then get a cab. Its a bit of a pain if you are doing a lot of tourist stuff but its great value for money.