Tokyo Hotels Shinjuku

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Asia Traveler
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Tokyo Hotels Shinjuku

Post by Asia Traveler »

Anyone have a recommendation? I prefer to be near the National Garden in Shinjuku but open to suggestions on other areas. Stayed at APA Gyoename last trip and that was small but clean and great location. My board search did not turn up anything so any suggestions would be appreciated.
fountainhall

Re: Tokyo Hotels Shinjuku

Post by fountainhall »

Much will depend on your budget. Understandably the more you are prepared to pay there is a much greater selection. I have stayed in a variety but none within less than a 15 minute walk to the Shinjuku Gyo-en Park. On the west side of Shinjuku station are the more expensive Hilton, Hyatt Regency and the wonderful Park Hyatt. Much of Sophia Coppola's movie Lost in Translation was filmed here. I stayed twice but used up a ton of Hyatt points as there was no way I could afford it! There is also the huge and cheaper Keio Plaza and the rather impersonal Washington hotels. One of my favourite hotels used to be the ideally located Century Southern Tower which is just a 3-minute walk from the station but it then moved out of my price range. On the top of a skyscraper all rooms have great views, some of the Park itself. They do have cheaper single rooms with largish single beds but I found they are a little too comfortable for two people - but possible!

There are lots more reasonably priced hotels on the East side a little closer to the Garden. Most recently I stayed at the relatively new Gracery Hotel in the red-light Shinjuku Kabuki-cho district. Easy access to the underground shopping area and thus also to the station which makes it easy to get from the Narita Express train or the Limousine Buses from both airports even in the rain. Lots of good and inexpensive restaurants in the area. I booked on Japanican which I found had slightly better rates than the usual agoda, hotels.com etc. Rooms are typically business hotel small but they are quiet, comfortable and the breakfast included in my rate was especially good. This is a review from the UK's Telegraph newspaper -

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/dest ... -shinjuku/

Fractionally closer to the Park, I once stayed in a Best Western which was literally 30 meters from one of the underground shopping exits. I notice that it has changed management. Looking at the map I think it is now the Citadines Central Shinjuku Hotel. The room was small but the bathroom well equipped with large bath and shower. The breakfast was poor but has probably improved under the new management. Location great for the ni-chome bars and 24 Kaikan sauna.

Unfortunately none of the above is as close to the Park as the APA Gyoemmai hotel. Looking at the map, I cannot find any that is closer! The ones I have suggested above are perhaps in more interesting locations and assume you have no problem walking for 15 minutes to get to the Park. If not, taxis are usually plentiful around that area, although I expect fares will now set you back around $10 - $12 per trip.
Jun

Re: Tokyo Hotels Shinjuku

Post by Jun »

Last time, I stayed at the Tokyu Stay Shinjuku. That was brand new, stylish & very close to the gay area, although the rooms are tiny (no problem at all for me).

On an earlier trip, several years ago, I stayed at the somewhat cheaper City Hotel Lonestar. That was VERY small, & lying on the bed, I could touch 3, if not 4 walls at the same time. If you have more than one suitcase, I wouldn't recommend this, but the size was my only criticism. The room was overlooking the fence where some of the lads used to congregate, when cruising.
That alone would have been worth something, but now the phone apps are replacing cruising.
fountainhall

Re: Tokyo Hotels Shinjuku

Post by fountainhall »

It's a general rule in Japan that floor area plays the major factor in the cost of a room. So the cheaper the room, the smaller the area. Those with very small areas also tend to have little if any storage space apart from a hangar or two. So if you have a large suitcase, it will be impossible to have it as in most hotels on a luggage rack. You may need to store it vertically and then put it on the bed when you want access to clothing etc.

I once stayed at one of the popular Sunroute chain hotels. These are perfectly comfortable and usually in good locations. But like the City Hotel Lonestar in ni-chome, the cheapest rooms are small to tiny.
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Re: Tokyo Hotels Shinjuku

Post by thewayhelooks »

Right now I am in the Hotel Sunlite, a business hotel on the eastern side of Shinjuku Station and 15 minutes walk to the station and gay area. Around 83,000 yen for six nights. Small but comfortable and a double bed just the right size for cuddling up together. It's all I need.
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Re: Tokyo Hotels Shinjuku

Post by Asia Traveler »

Thank you everyone great information!
fountainhall

Re: Tokyo Hotels Shinjuku

Post by fountainhall »

For info only, I just booked 6 nights at the end of March next year at the Citadines Central Shinjuku for a total of ¥71,280. No breakfast included but there are plenty of eateries close by. This is definitely the hotel that used to be part of the Best Western chain which I stayed at before and refer to in my first post above.
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Re: Tokyo Hotels Shinjuku

Post by Asia Traveler »

Thanks for the hotel help everyone I ended up staying at the Tokyu Stay Nishi-Shinjuku. This fits my budget and is an area that works for me. I used Hotels.com to book which is my preferred booking site. The room is a bit larger than the APA Hotel Shinjuku Gyoenmae where I stayed last year which for a long stay just seems to make a big difference. It also has an in room small washer/dryer unit along with a microwave, water pot, refrigerator, pants pressing unit, tub/shower etc. I would prefer the location of the APA but the price and room feature makes this choice very good for me. I took the breakfast option but it is not that good. Salad, rice, bread, some kind of meat, sometimes soft boiled eggs, juice, but no fruit and for sure no frills. Staff speaks good English and is helpful and friendly.
fountainhall

Re: Tokyo Hotels Shinjuku

Post by fountainhall »

Can you give us an idea of the nightly rate?
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Re: Tokyo Hotels Shinjuku

Post by Asia Traveler »

The average nightly price with breakfast was $105. Below are the room details.

Room details
Room Single Room A, Non Smoking 15sqm, 122cm Bed width
1 adult
Preferences Non Smoking, Single Bed
Please note: Preferences and requests cannot be guaranteed. Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges.
Facilities
Free WiFi FREE WIFI

1 Twin Bed
161 sq feet (15 sq meters)

Internet - Free WiFi and wired Internet access
Entertainment - LCD television with digital channels
Food & Drink - Refrigerator, microwave, and coffee/tea maker
Sleep - Blackout drapes/curtains
Bathroom - Private bathroom, deep soaking bathtub
Practical - Washer/dryer, safe, and desk
Comfort - Air conditioning
Need to Know - Weekly housekeeping, no rollaway/extra beds available
Non-Smoking
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