no regrets going all the way from Tokyo to stay at Ref Omiya by Vessel Hotels

Ref Omiya by Vessel Hotels, which had its grand opening in September 2020

The hotel lounge is not only open to guests, but can also be used as a coworking space from 10am to 11pm for 500 yen for 3 hours or 1,000 yen for the whole day.

I was looking forward to being able to use the large public bath with sauna during my stay, so this time I booked a standard double room (14 square meters) for 7,740 yen after the Ikyu Diamond Sale discount, which would have normally been 9,090 yen, and stayed there (November 2024).

• From the east exit of JR Omiya Station,
• Exit the South or North Exit ticket gates and head to the East Exit on the 1st floor
  
• Head towards McDonald's, which you can see ahead on the right
• Pass in front of Omiya Takashimaya department store and turn right at the intersection

Get off location when using the Keihin Tohoku Line ↓

⬅️ Towards Tokyo

1st floor lounge

There is a microwave at the back of the lounge, so if you want to eat food with less smell, it seems like it would be convenient and relaxing to use the lounge 😊

There is also a luggage space on the first floor, so you can leave your luggage before checking in or after checking out.

Guest rooms are on the 3rd to 11th floors, large public bath, laundry room, vending machines, ice, and smoking room are on the 2nd floor.

A long structure in the back,

View from the room entrance

You have to change into slippers at the entrance. There are no benches, so it's quite hard if you wear lace-up shoes. 😂

There is a USB port and power outlet next to the pillow, so you can conveniently place your smartphone there too 😊

Air purifier. I feel uneasy without it, but I only fill it with water and plug it in when I'm bothered by the smell...

It has a freezer, so you can buy some ice cream and enjoy it after your bath 😊

TVs that do not support Netflix

Rental item list

It's a separate piece of loungewear, and it has pockets so you can put your card keys and smartphone in it 😊

There's almost no view from the window

• 1F tomoru Chaya: A wide selection of Japanese, Western and ethnic cuisine
• 7:00 - 10:00 (LO 9:30), 1,800 yen (tax included)

From the website

access	JR Omiya Station (approx. 2 minutes)
Number of rooms	Double 13-14㎡ 144 rooms Twin 18-22㎡ 53 rooms Total 197 rooms
Standard check-in and check-out	14:00~, ~11:00
Amenities	Toothbrush set, body towel, bath salts, razor, cotton swabs, hairbrush
newspaper	-
WIFI: 1 measurement	28.1, 26.3 Mbps (downstream), 32.7, 15.5 Mbps (upstream)
Reviews and reservations	Official website Jalan 4.6, Rakuten Travel 4.47, Yahoo Travel 4.63, Ikkyu 4.63

Overall ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

It's close to the station, there's a convenience store nearby, and the lounge on the first floor is open and easy to use. It's worth it if you can get to Tokyo Station by local train for just over 30 minutes and it costs just 580 yen. If you're within Tokyo, you'll need an extra 5,000 yen, so I highly recommend it for those who don't mind spending time and travelling.

😄 Conveniently located near convenience stores (Seven-Eleven and Family Mart), and Omiya Takashimaya as well 😄 Balmuda water heater, Dyson hair dryer (large bath)
😄 Separate loungewear with pockets 😄 Large public bath with sauna (no crowd check, no relaxation chairs)

😢 Almost no view even on the higher floors 😢 The air purifier is unplugged and the TV doesn't support VOD