Shinjuku Granbell Hotel

The staff were amazing, and breakfast was good. I also really liked the rooftop bar. Our loft room had a small split level, which was handy for sleeping separately when one of us was snoring. The room was about the size we needed, perhaps a little smaller than in Europe, but there was no cupboard, wardrobe or drawer space. We kept our clothes in a suitcase under the desk, and that became a bit of a problem as we accumulated shopping. It’s just far enough from central Shinjuku to be quiet at night, but still an easy walk to the shopping area and nighttime entertainment. The underground station is three minutes away and makes it easy to get around.

They let us check in early, which was nice, but the front desk woman wasn’t friendly. I also saw a large rat run through the garden between the lobby and entrance. The place seems like a love hotel turned into a “normal hotel”; you can even see the daily rate hidden by the entrance. On its best day, I’d call it a three-star hotel. I felt scammed by the room we got: it had a huge image in very bad taste, and gross brown water kept leaking in the bathroom. I wouldn’t recommend it or come back.

The location worked well for us. Shinjuku is busy, but the hotel itself was in a calm, quiet spot with lots of places to eat and shop nearby. It’s about a ten-minute walk from Shinjuku Sanchome station, and around 15-20 minutes to Shinjuku Odakyu station for the Romancecar to Hakone. We had a comfort double. The room was standard for Tokyo, and, as is common here, the bed was against a wall, making it awkward for the person on the inside to get out. What stood out during our three-week holiday, when we stayed at nine hotels, was that they allowed early check-in when the room was ready. The other hotels in Japan seemed to just say check-in was at 3, without checking whether a room was available. Service varied depending on who we spoke to. When I asked a younger woman about forwarding luggage, an older man stepped in, pointed me to flyers and said I could arrange it online myself. I was surprised, since I thought most hotels in Japan could arrange it for you, but took the Air Porter flyer and checked the site. It was affordable at 3,300 yen for two medium suitcases, but our next hotel needed the bags in the morning, and Air Porter couldn’t deliver before 8pm. After dinner, I asked again at the desk. A younger man who spoke fluent English was lovely and arranged delivery through Yamato, which could deliver in the morning. Another staff member helped me call ANA, since my eSIM couldn’t make calls. There are lots of people at reception, so if one isn’t helpful, try asking someone else :)

The staff were lovely and often greeted us in the elevators and hallways. I did find it a bit much to have a cleaning notice put on our door every day. My partner and I don’t really like daily room cleaning, so I wish there’d been an option to opt out for a while. The room was clean and not terrible, but much smaller than the photos suggested, which felt misleading. The pillows and bed weren’t comfortable, and I woke with a sore neck because the pillows had no support. The blankets were as light as a sheet. The AC was better than in most places, I guess, but wouldn’t go below 20C. There were also dents and scratches on the walls that were already there when we checked in. Please look into the neighborhood before booking. We didn’t realize it was in Kabukicho, the red light district, and apparently it’s the only legitimate hotel there among several love hotels. The area felt shady and less clean than the rest of Tokyo, with lots of clubs, bars and nightlife. I wouldn’t feel it was the safest place to travel alone. We also saw a few rats. That isn’t the hotel’s fault, but it’s useful to know.