APA Hotel Shinjuku Gyoemmae

We had no complaints about the stay, even with the odd reputation and ideology of the hotel chain’s president. The two-twin room was quite comfortable, reasonably well equipped, and very quiet, though small by Western standards. The bathroom arrangement is weird, but it wasn’t a big deal. The hotel is right by the M subway line and about 10 minutes from Shinjuku Station, with some interesting places to get a drink just a short walk away.

The strict rules about just about everything felt nitpicky and annoying. To get your room cleaned, you have to put the sign on your door by 9 AM. Water is only provided on the first day. You’re supposed to put your towel in the bag on the door, but not the bathmat, and there are plenty of other rules. It all seems set up to make operations as efficient as possible, at the cost of the guest experience. Could they relax a little? It’s a big hotel, but I felt like a number instead of a guest. Check-in was chaotic even around 8 PM, and I was forced to use an annoying self-service machine. The bidet is outdated and needs replacing.

Good toiletry options, and the location works well for a weekend in Shinjuko if you’re traveling light. But there’s no view, late checkout costs extra, and the room is a squeeze for two people with luggage. I know Tokyo rooms are small, but this one was tough to manage with bags.

The location was the one thing I liked. It’s central for seeing Tokyo, with plenty within walking distance and a metro stop just a few minutes away. The rest of the stay was awful. During a strong earthquake, I was on a high floor and saw foreigners waiting for the elevators in a panic. Maybe the building is built to handle earthquakes, but I couldn’t stop wondering what we’d do in a fire or another emergency. There were two fire exits, but both were locked when we tried them. My biggest issue came while packing: the cleaning lady had taken my duty-free products. They’re meant to stay sealed, and I didn’t discover they’d been removed from the plastic until then. There were no cameras in the room, so I had no proof. Why would I put myself in trouble over it? The staff weren’t helpful either. I left feeling this was my worst Japan experience, right at the end of a beautiful trip.