Hotel Empire In Shinjuku

I booked through Agoda months ahead. A week before my trip, while arranging an airport transfer, I emailed the hotel to confirm where to check in because the listing gave a different address. They told me they had no record of my reservation. In later replies, they said they had found a booking under the same name and dates, but that they had cancelled it. When I asked why, they directed me to Agoda and stopped responding to my emails. Agoda checked with its booking partner and the property, then confirmed to me that the reservation was confirmed and already paid for. I contacted Blue Empire again to get the airport transfer drop-off address, but got the same response: they still couldn't find my booking and had no contact or coordination with Agoda. Agoda continued to say the reservation was confirmed and that I didn't need to contact the property. The conflicting information and the property's dismissive replies made it seem like internal coordination might be poor. Since we were travelling with an infant, we didn't want to risk arriving and being turned away or stranded, so we cancelled the reservation.

The mattress was very comfortable and the internet worked great. There were power sockets all over the room, including one tucked behind the mattress on the wall near the end of the bed. A washing machine in the room was a big plus, along with a kettle and microwave. The paper cups were small, though, and there was no cutlery, so bring your own if you want a hot drink. The room is long and narrow, about as wide as two mattresses side by side plus a few inches. It had a sink in the kitchen area and another in the room, with the shower and toilet in separate spaces. There were two bath towels and hand towels for us, plus robes. For consecutive nights, you can get a mini clean by putting out the "make up my room" sign before 10am. They'll make the bed, replace the towels and robe, and empty the bin. There are no lifts, just outdoor stairs to the 2F. There's also no front desk here, so check-in and check-out happen at Hotel Empire. At checkout they inspect the room before returning the deposit, which takes time. We had to catch the 5.10am train to the airport for an early flight, so that was a real pain and something to allow time for. Our heater didn't seem to work well at a normal moderate setting. I had to turn it way up to feel any heat, and maybe it all rose into the loft above us. Clothes also took ages to dry. There's a security camera at the front door. I'd still give it four stars. It's pretty much there, though we had to work around or do without a few things we'd had at other hotels. Having a washing machine in the room was a big plus.

A nice little hidden gem, with soft Western-style mattresses, unlike the stiff ones I've had at other hotels here. The staff were nice and accommodating, the price was good, and two nearby train stations are about a five-minute walk away.

The convenient location and friendly, responsive staff were the few bright spots. The room was very dirty, and the sheet had blood stains. A cockroach dropped from the ceiling, where an open space packed with items above the bed made the room look like a storage area. Noise came through clearly from outside, and it was especially loud from upstairs. After the stay, my skin was itchy and red, like I’d been bitten by insects. Very disappointing.