PDO INN Coffee & Open-air bath on the roof

An open air bath a minute away from Ikebukuro, are you kidding me?

Nov 16, 2022

Introduction

This is my first stay in Airbnb in Tokyo. This place is really unique. It inspires me to start exploring interesting places to stay in Tokyo, not just Airbnb but also other places. I loved this place so much that I stayed multiple times. This is where a lot of good memories are made. There will be many more to come.

Comfort: 8.5/10

The room is small, but it has got everything you need for a long stay. The room itself is on the second floor of the building. The third floor is an office where Rintaro san and his team may be working during day time. The fourth floor is the rooftop, with the bathtub and the highlight of this place. There is no elevator in this building.

There is a shower room on the second floor, along with a washing machine, kitchen, bed, air purifier, and TV. There is also an exercise bar hanging from the roof, plus a Yoga mat. The bed itself is a bit too small for my liking. There are some more space so I hope Rintaro will put a slightly bigger bed in the near future. There are some real architecture books on the shelf, and lots of artfully placed Japanese drawing. I love the decor. The place is well-designed to maximise the available space. Oh and the tiles are also hand made.

A nice outdoor bathtub. Yuzu is from the supermarket nearby

There is no roof over the bathtub, there is no tall building around the place. We can see stars on the sky while taking a bath if the weather permitted. The bathtub is made from real wood. The lids are also made from wood hence they are quite heavy. When it is filled with hot water, which is automatic, the air will be filled with streams along with the aroma from the wood. There is something magical about having a real wooden bathtub outdoors, and it is only a minute away from Ikebukuro.

Location 9/10

The location is great. It is only a few steps away from Kanamecho station, which is only one station away from Ikebukuro. There are a lot of eating places nearby. The first floor of this building is a Karaake place which is only open during day time. I didn’t get bothered by the smell while I am staying at the place. There is a supermarket which opens until late, opposite side of the road. Despite the fact that the place is next to the main road, it was quiet during the night. There is a car park nearby in case you have a car.

Next door is Karaake (fried chicken) place. The blue door on the right is the entrance.

Uniqueness 9/10

The location and the rooftop bath are definitely unique. Also the room is really well designed. If you are a coffee lover then this is a great place to stay. There is a grinder machine, filter, hot water purer and scale, perfect for making hand brew coffee.

Fully functional kitchen, with all equipment required to make good meals

Cost 7/10

This place is on the expensive spectrum of Airbnb. The cleaning cost is reasonable, and there is a service charge which makes the overall cost more expensive than others. Given the uniqueness and its location, the price is justifiable.

The bed is comfortable. A bit too small for two people

Final Thoughts - Highly recommend, will repeat

Ken’s score: Gold, 8.4/10

What I like 👍

Bathtub
location, next to the station

What I do not like 👎

The bed is small
The fact that you have to take stairs to get to the room and to take a bath. Imagine walking naked from the fourth floor back to the second floor (that was kind of fun in itself depending on who you are with)