Shinjuku Washington Hotel Main

There’s no public bath, unfortunately, but it was still a comfortable and satisfying stay. Getting around Shinjuku was easy, and the hotel is close to Shinjuku Central Park with lots of nice restaurants nearby. There are several restaurants and a convenience store in the basement, plus a 24-hour coin laundry. The teppan restaurant in the annex on the first floor serves a splendid breakfast buffet, with a beautiful Japanese traditional garden style.

The room was clean and practical, but pretty compact. For the price, the amenities felt a little underwhelming. Laundry costs extra, some facilities weren’t as comprehensive as I expected, and breakfast was fairly average, with room for more variety or better quality. Getting around was easy from this convenient spot. The nearest station is about a 10-15 minute walk, and there are convenience stores, marts, and plenty of food streets along the way for meals and essentials. A decent stay for the location, though the value and amenities could be better for the room rate.

We’re still staying at Shinjuku Washington hotel. We arrived two days ago and first had a tiny 16 sqm supreme room. After two nights we upgraded to a 19 sqm room, which didn’t feel much bigger. The hotel made us check out before checking in again for the upgrade. Front office staff member Thu told us to return by 2pm. When we came back, there was a long queue for new arrivals, and Thu directed us to the self check-in machine without telling us to join the queue. We mistakenly cut in front of the new arrivals. We’d already been staying there for two days and were paying more for an upgrade, so Thu should have explained the process or arranged an earlier check before we returned. I’m very disappointed with the service from a hotel in such a good location. On our first day, we asked for six bottles of water. Now we’ve been told each room is entitled to only two bottles a day. In Singapore, when a guest asks for more water, hotels will provide it as good service. On the positive side, Mr. Khunal at the information counter on the first floor listened to my concerns and helped find my lost hat at a restaurant in Harujuku. I hope the GM, Mr Tomiyama, reads this and looks for me. I’m still staying at Shinjuku Washington hotel, having upgraded from the 16th floor to the 23rd. The front reception is generally well accepted by the public, but the rooms look old and conservative and need upgrading if the hotel wants to increase sales. There aren’t extra foreign channels for international guests, just local Japanese TV or program channels. For the price we’re paying, this hotel needs an upgrade. If Google allowed half stars, I’d give it half a star instead of one.

The staff handled the check-in crowd very professionally and efficiently. There were hundreds in the queue, around 40 groups, I think, but I got my room soon. They also provided a luggage scale and free luggage storage. The 10-minute walk from Shinjuku station leaves the area quiet, though there are various stores nearby and the Metropolitan Building, with its two observatories, is close. I gave the room four stars because I chose a smaller type, which made organizing luggage difficult. Otherwise, everything was fine for this price and tier of hotel.