Akihabara Washington Hotel
Hotel aims to lure in railfans with new train room
16 September, 2010 by Chad
When the Akihabara Washington Hotel (秋葉原ワシントンホテル) recently reopened after a two year long renovation, it added a unique new attraction in the form of a so called “Tetsudo (railroad) Room”.
The room on the 13th floor, renamed Kuhane 1304 (after a series of local trains probably popular among fans), features a large railway diorama for guests to play with. The 4 square meter set contains over 30 meters of track built into it. A dream come true for Tetsudo fans (鉄道ファン). I happen to have the same Tokyo Tower model which they used as a centerpiece for the set.
Guests can bring their own model trains or rent trains from the hotel. Two controllers are provided but you can’t invite a friend since only a single bed remains after the diorama took up most of the formally twin room’s space.
The peculiar attraction has been all over the news.
Despite inflated charges of 23,000 yen (USD$250 or SGD$360) a night, the idea has been well received by its niche audience and the room has been fully booked since its opening in June.
Image by Akihabara Washington Hotel.
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