Apa Hotel Higashi Shinjuku Kabukicho Tower

We spent our days exploring Tokyo and mostly needed somewhere to sleep, so the easy check-in and checkout and consistently kind, professional staff worked well for us. Still, the room was the smallest I’ve ever stayed in. The bathroom was so tight I had to sit sideways on the toilet, and we found the semi-transparent door odd. Daily bags of fresh towels and amenities were a nice gesture at first, but they cluttered the tiny room, so we ignored them after day three. A wet patch on the ceiling kept getting bigger each day, which was disappointing for a 3-star hotel. The breakfast buffet was mediocre, and we only ate there twice in eight days. The laundry room was always full, and there’s no smoking area on site. It’ll do if all you need is a bed in a good spot, but the cramped room and maintenance problem were real drawbacks.

The hotel’s impressive exterior gives way to a lobby crowded with suitcases, rude front desk clerks, and a registration process that was a nightmare. The rooms looked nothing like the pictures. They’re under 10x10 feet and cramped even for a couple, while the breakfast room barely fits a dozen people. The price is normal for the area, but it’s very poor value. The surrounding area is, to put it mildly, one of the worst parts of Shinjuku. There’s garbage everywhere, tourist traps, bookers and massage parlors, and it’s right by the sleazy red-light district. Stay away from this area and the hotel.

I was nervous about booking after reading the reviews, but I ended up having a lovely seven-day solo stay without any problems. The rooms are small, though the price makes that easier to accept. Someone greeted me at the entrance and helped me check in as soon as I arrived, and checkout was seamless. The location’s pretty good too, near the station and a DonQ. I’d definitely stay again.

The Onsen was decent, and the staff seemed nice and helpful when dealing with checkout and my luggage. But there was nowhere to sit or relax in the lobby, or anywhere else, and the hotel did very little to make me comfortable. I booked four nights at a “nice hotel” expecting some comfort and relaxation, but I didn’t sleep properly once. The room and bathroom were tiny, and the room was boiling hot in winter. The air conditioner seemed deliberately not to work: even with 1°C outside, it was consistently 27°C in the room. There was a window that wouldn’t open, looking onto a concrete wall. The heat was awful, and I woke up drenched in sweat. I asked reception for a fan. They appeared to check for a few minutes, then said none were available. The service was terrible, and they offered no compensation or resolution. I wish I’d read the negative reviews first; they were accurate. A simple Google search also turns up controversy and safety concerns about earthquakes. I expect I’ll just get a generic response to this honest review, with no accountability or compensation. The hotel seems very good at getting you out the door, but poor at caring how your stay is. In theory it sounds like a nice place, but that wasn’t my experience. Save your money and holiday and go somewhere else.