Acoustic GARAGE by Tranova

We thought we’d found a nice, cheap place, but I’d tell people to save their money. The photos didn’t match what we found, and it felt more like a motel pretending to be a hotel. There’s a camera in every room that you can see from inside, and instead of a card, they leave the key in your room. That felt unsafe, since someone could have entered. The place was also dirty, and we found roaches in our room. Others have mentioned bedbugs. We didn’t get bitten, but the urine-stained mattresses make me doubt the rooms are completely free of them. There were multiple signs telling people not to take photos of children and to call the police if they saw someone doing so. I found that very strange. I’ve also heard people say they weren’t refunded and were just moved to another room. I’m going to try to get my money back, but I won’t stay at this “hotel” again. Don’t book unless you’re willing to sleep on a stained, possibly bug-infested bed.

It’s fairly clean, but living in a girls’ dormitory means it gets crowded and noisy. I’ve been woken up several times and need earplugs to sleep.

Room 101 is an apartment with a washing machine and kitchenette. I liked the quiet Kagurazaka area, the nearby options, and the proximity to Shinjuku Station. Since it’s residential, it may suit a second trip better than a first visit. I was going to give the place four stars for decent cleanliness and location, until I had to kill a cockroach in the room. Roaches are everywhere in Japan, so be warned.

Great location and price, and everything worked. The only small snag was that our luggage was a bit too big, but it wasn’t a major issue.