Tokyu Stay Shinjuku Eastside

The smell in the room was terrible the whole time. We kept trying to air it out, but it was too noisy outside to leave the windows open for long. The bathroom also felt extremely cheap, with walls made of some kind of plastic rather than tile. There wasn’t even enough room to open a suitcase comfortably, though the room had a washing machine, microwave, kettle and stove. For most tourists staying just a few days, those things are completely unnecessary. The rooms also weren’t properly cleaned. Once a day, on request, they could change towels and take away the trash, and that was it. We came to Japan for a vacation and found this place terrible. I’d strongly NOT recommend it to anyone on holiday who expects even a basic level of comfort. It didn’t feel like a proper hotel room, more like a dog kennel, and it’s suitable for one person at most. If you’re traveling alone on business, carrying very little luggage, like the area and plan to eat in your room, it may work well for you. We asked several times to move to a normal-sized room, but the hotel would only do that for an additional €1,200 for just 3 days. It was our mistake to book here. We should have chosen a proper hotel like Hilton instead of this tiny box.

The in-room washer-dryer was a lifesaver, and there’s an ice machine in the lobby too. Housekeeping is limited to taking out trash and changing towels. You can get free coffee in the morning or pay for breakfast, and there are plenty of cafés and food places nearby. Solid hotel, I’d definitely stay again.

Being able to leave our luggage before check-in and after checkout meant we could keep exploring until our flight. The staff were kind to us as foreigners, and the place is close to downtown shinjuku without being on a busy, noisy street. Our room was clean and roomy by Tokyo standards, with a deep bath, fridge, mini kitchen, and a washer-dryer that came in handy since we packed so little. We could also connect our phone to the TV. We loved staying here.

The room was my one real issue. There’s nowhere to store things, and even living out of my suitcase left hardly any space to move around. That said, the location suited my interests perfectly: close to the entertainment area, while the hotel itself is on a main, clean street. The staff were great, and you can rent whatever you might need if it isn’t already there. I’m staying here now and would definitely recommend it to people visiting Tokyo.