Tokyo Ariake Bay Hotel

Visiting Tokyo from America, I thought this place was really good for $30. The rooms were clean, the workers friendly, and I felt very welcome. I’d definitely come back.

The lounge was ridiculously hot in June, with no air conditioning and the thermostat set to 26/27 degrees. The dorm was hard to sleep in for the same reason, and the capsules got really warm. Lights left on in the dorm also shone through the capsule door, making for a pretty terrible night’s sleep. I don’t know how it is the rest of the year, but I wouldn’t recommend this hotel in summer. The facilities and location are good, and the hotel is fair quality otherwise.

I needed a single night in Tokyo after some travel issues. It wasn’t too hard to get to using Google Maps. The place was quiet, and the mattress was good, if firm or hard. Staff were helpful and understanding about my language barrier, so check-in was fairly easy. I’m not sure, but I think it’s an adults-only hotel, with men and women on different floors. One thing to know is there aren’t many nearby restaurants, just a Lawsons and one restaurant at the end of the block.

For a capsule hotel, this one was pretty good: clean facilities, good Wi-Fi, a good location, and cheap. The bed was comfortable, but it can get hot in the room because there’s only a fan and no AC. There’s no sound insulation between capsules, so snoring even a few rows away can be a real problem for light sleepers. If there are other capsules free, you can ask the receptionist to move and they’ll let you. Earplugs, the headphones attached to the TV, and the room fan should help drown out most of the snoring. I’d recommend it to backpackers, as long as light sleepers come prepared.