9STAY Bunkyo Otsuka

We were told on check-in day that our booking for three had been changed to a room for two, with no explanation, though they said three could still fit. When we arrived, there was a double bed and a folded futon, but nowhere to open it. The room was really cramped and clearly not suitable for three. Since we’d booked so far ahead, the last-minute change left us no time to cancel and find somewhere else. We had to make do with this ridiculous setup. Wouldn’t recommend it.

It’s a quiet apartment, with some nice restaurants nearby. Shin Otsuka station is close, though getting anywhere means changing trains at Ikebukoro. The kitchen had very few utensils and no toaster. There’s no lift, and the stairs are so narrow that carrying heavy suitcases up and down was awful.

The beds were awful, with springs poking through the mattresses, and the bed itself rested on broken boards that could hurt you. The sheets, pillowcases, and duvets were stained too. The apartment was dusty and marked with stains when we arrived, so we contacted the owner, but ended up cleaning it ourselves. There was also a horrible cigarette smell throughout, especially when the air conditioning was running, despite smoking being prohibited. We told the owner about the smell and got no response on that issue. The place felt cheaply equipped, with damaged items everywhere. Before we arrived, we asked for plain sheets because we don’t sleep under duvets and it was very hot. That request was ignored, so we asked again when we got there. The owner’s answer was that they’d charge extra if we spilled anything on the sheets. That’s shameful when the place wasn’t properly cleaned and no cleaning help was offered. When we raised the problems, the only response was a hollow apology and a promise it wouldn’t happen again, which didn’t fix anything. Earlier reviews had mentioned the same issues. Don’t stay here.

The beds were comfortable and the internet worked well. It’s a nice apartment in a quiet building and neighborhood, with a train station and shops just a few minutes away. There’s also a washing machine in the bathroom.