Two years ago, when I had to choose the kind of hotel where to spend my days in Tokyo, I found a chain of serviced apartments / hotel called TOKYU STAY. The hotel presents itself as a cross between a traditional hotel and a small apartment with all necessary services. Within each room there are in fact a microwave, a hot plate for cooking, a sink, a work shelf as in classic cuisine, and above all a convenient washing machine with dryer function. The presence of the washing machine immediately caught my attention! Unfortunately, as everyone knows, airlines companies raise the weight limit of baggage to be put in the hold of aircraft. But Tokyo is a city where you can’t walk the streets without buying anything …. indeed, is exactly the opposite! You can not think of spending a holiday in Tokyo without having to deal with everything that you buy and that you have, sometimes doing magic tricks, to bring in your suitcase!

ENTRANCE

Having a washing machine in the room is of great help! Knowing to be able to wash your own clothes when you want, allows you to pack the bare essentials, leaving free space for all the things you will buy on the way back! So I opted for this hotel and more precisely to the Shibuya Shin-Minamiguchi one.

TOKYU STAY SHIBUYA SHIN_MINAMIGUCHI

Another interesting aspect is how to make reservations. Through various travel booking sites such as lastminute.com or expedia.com when you book a trip, you must pay by credit card. If you are a common man like me and do not have a Gold , Platinum or Black card this could be a problem! When you book for two or more people at once the flight and the hotel, these sites give you the choice of paying  with 2 differents credit cards, only 2 …. at least my experiences tell me this …. and you can find you in the condition of not being able to pay for the entire trip! The Tokyu Stay chain allow, after the registration at the website, a reservation without payment, enabling you to pay once your arrival in the lobby!

MY ROOM

The hotel is very quiet and there is not a big lobby like in the Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku, but it is very organized and clean! In the square below the hotel is open 24 hours a Family Mart (like every convenience stores) very convenient to stock up on food or drink just before going to your room.

MY ROOM

THE VIEW FROM MY BALCONY

THE BREAKFAST MENU

The rooms, being like small apartments, are larger than the common rooms of the hotels in Tokyo. Mine had even a balcony! In the lobby there is a free wifi network (indinspensabile in Tokyo) and breakfast is included! The hotel, being very small, there isn’t a space where they could serve the breakfast. But in the same building there is a family restaurant called Jonathan’s where, by submitting name and room number, you can have breakfast for free!
Prices are in line with those of business hoels in Tokyo, so pretty cheap, but the services are definitely more interesting!

LINK:

http://www.tokyustay.co.jp/e/hotel/SIM/

Tokyu Stay Shibuya Shin-minamiguchi
Shibuya 3-26-21, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0002

The first time I’ve been in Tokyo, I went to a guest house of a Japanese friend of mine. Although I often went out alone to visit the city, but always I had advices from his family, how to move, which trains to take and how to get home! Not knowing Japanese is not easy to move quickly. The second time, for a variety of circumstances, I decided to return to Tokyo alone.

My main problem was then just  where to stay, what kind of hotel, but especially in wich neighborhood. I needed to find a hotel in a neighborhood convenient for travel, easily accessible near restaurants, bars and shops in the middle reach without having to catch trains. I had no idea how the experience would have been in Tokyo all by myself and wanted to have all the amenities and services near the hotel. Tokyo fascinates everyone, but for those unfamiliar with the language and  travel to exotic places can also be frightened by the amount of people, lights and colors that Tokyo has to offer.

THE VIEW FROM MY ROOM

Doing several searches on the internet I finally decided. I would spend my time in Tokyo at the hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku. The hotel is business-type , rooms are small but with all the comforts, the staff understands English, and the movements are made easier by the fantastic location. In fact reaching the subway or the JR lines takes very few steps and, what is really important when you are tired, you have not to pass through crowds of people running to get to the hotel. In fact the street of the hotel is on the south side of Shinjuku station and is served by the new output of the station called ”NewSouth Exit” which comes out on Southern Terrance directly opposite the hotel.

Single rooms are very small, as most of the hotel business, no closet, but the space is really well designed. The bathroom is small but clean and organized, has a window with an opaque glass, which looks out on the room to filter the natural light and give a sense of openness to the environment. Very important when you have tostay so long in a room. In addition to every room air conditioner is also an air purifier that starts automatically when it detects dirt or odors in the room. In all the rooms of the hotel is available in-room massage service that I have clearly proved! A nice old Japanese came to expertly massaging my back by pressure only with the help of a towel. No oil, no mess in your room, kindness and professionalism. The old lady did not speak a word of English but still managed to understand each others. At 2F you can find a room with free internet computers available and free hot drinks vending machine. At each floor instead, near the elevators there is a vending-machines room for all drinks and snacks on hand at any time without leaving the hotel.

Recommended the Swedish hotel spa. I tried the best massage of my life in that place. I have already done in various Swedish massage massage centers but that of the spa of this hotel is still the best. Maybe a little pricey, but is money really wellspent.

Link:

MAP

http://www.sunroute.jp/HotelInfoSVE

151-0053 2-3-1 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan

TEL. 03-3375-3211 FAX. 03-5365-4110

3 minutes walk from the South Exit of Shinjuku Station, 2 minutes walk from the Southern Terrace Exit.Immediately to the right upon exiting the Toei Oedo Shinjuku Line A1 Exit (Shinjuku Mines Tower Exit)

15 minutes by car from Metropolitan Expressway Shinjuku turnoff 60 minutes by car from Haneda Airport 80 minutes by car from Narita Airport

65 cars (toll parking)

14:00/11:00

VISA,AMEX,DINERS CLUB,JCB,DC,UC,UFJ,NICOS

I’ve been many times in Tokyo, every time in a different Hotel. The last time I’ve been in that amazing city I decided for the hotel named THE B IKEBUKURO.

Located in the North of the city it’s a modern and clean buisness hotel. Rooms are small but really comfortable and with a fresh and young design. You can find a big shower with all kind of amenities, there is of course the typical modern japanese toilet with all the buttons that everyone should try!

The room charges are with breakfast included! To have your breakfast you have to go to the restaurant of the hotel placed at 2nd floor where you can find a rich buffet with a continental and international food.

Maybe the most important thing it’s you can find a FREE WIFI in the lobby!!!!! Why is so important???? I know it’s unbelivable but in Tokyo you can’t find a free WIFI connection as simply as you think!!! Only at APPLE STORES (Shibuya and Ginza)

MY ROOM

Speaking about prices I paid something like 60/70 EURO per night and I booked my room via Expedia.com

If you try to book on the official website will be more expensive for sure!!!

If you have any questions about this Hotel please, feel free to ask!!!!

link:

http://www.theb-hotels.com/the-b-ikebukuro/en/