Capsule Hotel Anshin Oyado Tokyo Shimbashi

The room was too warm for me, and the little fan wasn't enough. I was there in Spring, so it wasn't terrible, but I hate to think how it might feel in Summer. Still, everything was clean, the staff were friendly, and security wasn't a concern. For the price, the value surprised me. There were unlimited soft drinks and soup, free liquor and popcorn at night, plus breakfast and dinner. The public bath, massage chairs, manga, and other extras were a nice bonus. The location was great, especially for getting to either airport. I had a great one-night stay!

There were mostly Japanese guests during this stay, and I didn't end up talking with other tourists like I had at Akihabara. It was quieter here, though I preferred Akihabara's more traveler-hostel feel. As a tourist, I'd choose that branch again, even though Shimbashi has some advantages. This was my second stay at an Anshin Oyado. I'd liked the Akihabara branch on an earlier trip to Japan, and this one has many of the same features. The capsules are nice and larger than you'd expect. There's an alarm that turns on the lights a minute before it sounds, so it doesn't wake your neighbors, and earplugs are provided. You get free curry and miso soup for breakfast, free alcohol at night, ramen until 11pm, work spaces, and sleepwear. I slept fine. Shimbashi is a convenient area for Haneda, Odaiba, Tokyo Station, and Akihabara. It's only a 3 minute walk from the Karasumori exit at Shimbashi station. It doesn't feel very touristy, since Tokyoites seem to come here after work. The staff here seemed friendlier and spoke better English than the Akihabara staff. There are two massage chairs rather than three, and I thought the bathing area was smaller. The slippers were a bit awkward: a sign says not to wear them in the capsule room, but lots of people do, and I don't remember slippers being an issue at Akihabara. I preferred that branch's layout. One thing Shimbashi does better is the dedicated luggage storage room on the first floor. It's very convenient and has more space. You also get two free drinks when you check in, which I don't remember getting at Akihabara. As at other AO's, the bath is shared, so remember you'll be bathing naked with other men.

There's free breakfast and dinner, so I don't have to worry about food even when it's really cold outside. Drinks are available all day, including hot options, and from 17-03 am you can get free alcohol like Japan Sake and Whisky, or make a cocktail with whatever flavor you want. It's great value for money. I'm here for around 9 nights, and today is my fourth. The only downside is hearing trains and snoring from the room. Anti-noise AirPods or earplugs should help. I plan to come back next time.

My first capsule hotel stay went really well. The location and amenities were great. It took some getting used to the locker and storage setup and the dress code, but that was part of the experience for me.