Economy Hotel Hoteiya

It was pretty quiet while I was there, which I liked. The hotel is small and affordable, a bit dated but clean. There's a microwave on every floor, handy for heating up convenience store meals, and the subway is about a ten-minute walk away.

The good part is the free hot and cold green tea, and the location beside My basket and Shimadaya. That grocery store has really good sushi and fried chicken at very reasonable prices. The room is tiny, with an old heater and a fridge that doesn't get cold. The shower room and toilet are shared.

There are plenty of backpacker budget places in Minami Senju, and many are private rooms rather than capsule beds. I heard rooms can go for as little as 3,900 yen a night. This one has a lively reception and lounge, popular with foreign travelers, and a supermarket right next door. The long, narrow rental-flat style building has a lived-in look. Rooms are basic, with beds and fridges, though the beds are hard and the air-conditioning units are old. The walls are thin, so you may hear the neighbors going about their lives. Shower rooms are open 24 hours, but check the bathroom hours. Amenities cost extra, while towels and housecoats can be rented. It has a distinctive atmosphere despite those drawbacks.

From the outside the hotel looked pretty old, but the staff took us to a different, newer building for our room and everything there was perfect. The room was quite small for two big guys, and the nearest station was about 14 minutes away. That's manageable, though walking it with bags isn't much fun. Still, this hostel is great and cheap. A real hidden gem, 10/10, would definitely recommend.