Business Hotel Yamashiro

One of the reception guys, around 45 with short hair, was really nice the whole time and made my stay better. The hotel had the basics I needed, a bed, bathroom, and shower. It was noisy at night because of the location, but I still managed to sleep. Don't expect too much from it.

The staff were great, cleaning the room and helping with our luggage. It’s cheap and convenient, and did what we needed. We didn’t realize it was in the middle of the red light district, which was on us more than anything. It’s still close to Shinjuku and shibuya. We expected beds, but didn’t mind sleeping on Japanese-style futons.

We liked having windows to air out the slightly musty smell, but the futons were thinner than ones we’d had at other futon and tatami places on the trip. We slept poorly during our stay. The rooms were spacious and clean, though quite outdated. The toilet is tiny, while the separate shower has a decent amount of room. We chose the traditional tatami room because the Western rooms are in the basement and have no windows. Staff were lovely and there around the clock. They don’t clean the rooms, but kindly offered to replace towels and empty the bins each day. There are lots of konbinis nearby and an easy walk into central Shinjuku. The hotel is in the middle of Kabukicho, about a 10-15 minute walk from Shinjuku station depending on which line you need, and even closer to Seibu-Shinjuku and Higashi-Shinjuku stations. With all the host clubs nearby, it can be noisy through the night and into the morning, but that didn’t bother us.

A clean, comfortable traditional Japanese-style hotel, with beds on the floor, in a great location. One thing to know: there’s no lobby if you arrive early or leave late, though you can store your bags and use a shared washroom.