bnb+ Secret Base Mejiro - Hostel

I rarely leave bad reviews, but this place's rating is way off, and I think it needs to be looked at for safety. I only found the older reviews warning that it was unsafe for women after my stay. Please listen to them. The hostel was almost completely unmanned. A staff member sometimes ran around, but he never spoke to anyone during the week I was there, and I didn't even know he was staff until the last day. Bags of rubbish were often left on the floor. Most guests were men, and they talked loudly about vulgar things, walked around in underwear or shirtless, and played vulgar videos out loud in the dorm. It went on the whole time, and even the man who turned out to be staff didn't step in. The place wasn't cleaned properly. Halfway through, I lifted the mattress protector to fix my bedding and found several toenails and other dirt on the bed. My skin was irritated throughout the stay. I thought it might be unrelated, but the itching stopped less than a day after I left, so I think it may have been connected. When I arrived, I messaged the host to say the fan and light weren't working, but got no response. Later, a man opened my curtain without knocking or saying who he was, then handed me a cable. He didn't apologize or identify himself, and left me exposed and vulnerable while I was lying down in a dress. One guest made me extremely uncomfortable. Some of my things went missing and then reappeared, so I had to stay with a friend for one night. If the hostel is unstaffed and has both men and women staying there, it needs proper systems so people, especially women, can feel safe. The dorm lights stayed on around the clock, and my curtain was broken for my whole stay. The internet was so bad I couldn't play music or make phone calls. The host replied once to say someone would fix the curtain at 11 the next day, but nobody came, and they ignored my later messages. You can't open the windows or turn on the air conditioning. The first few nights were so cold I could see my breath in the common room. Around 20 people share one small floor, and with the windows shut it gets stuffy and smelly quickly. Guests also checked themselves in between 1 and 3am, talking loudly and rolling their suitcases around. I've stayed in hostels and worked in them before, and I don't write bad reviews lightly. This isn't worth the 1,000 to 2,000 yen you'd save. Please be careful.

The location couldn't be better, close to the train station, shops, and a laundromat. If you get a meal at family mart, ask for cutlery because the hostel doesn't provide it. I never saw a staff member, but that was okay. The place was small, clean, cute, and in a quiet area, and the capsules gave good privacy. The mattress was too thin, though. Luckily, the blanket was big and soft enough to put underneath my back for some extra comfort, and keep me warm on top.

The room is small and the price is very high for what you get. Towels are rented, but I couldn't even find one. The curtain doesn't block the light.

It's self-service, so read the rules and you're set. For just 3,000 a night per capsule, you get a great lounge, free Wi-Fi, a free locker, and free bathroom and shampoo. Almost the whole hotel is incredibly clean too. Such a steal. Recommend.