This delightfully old-fashioned, unpretentious (some might say dowdy) relic qualifies as historic in contemporary Tokyo. Built in 1937 and serving as a research institute and then as living quarters for U.S. occupation forces before becoming a hotel in 1954, it remains true to its past, not much different from when it was a favorite retreat of writers like novelist Yukio Mishima. With a distinctive Art Deco facade, the hotel has furnished some of its rooms with such endearing, homey touches as fringed lampshades, doilies, and cherrywood furniture. Some twins even combine a tatami area and shoji with beds; the most expensive twin overlooks its own Japanese garden. While not as conveniently located as other tourist hotels, this is a nostalgia-invoking place (don’t be surprised if reception staffers remember you by name), hidden on a hill near Meiji University and near restaurants, bookshops, and other student hangouts, which bring lots of young people and liveliness to the area. And though small by Tokyo standards, this hotel has an impressive number of restaurants and bars, due, no doubt, to its popularity among steadfast local fans.