Whenever friends come to Japan on a holiday, they always ask us the standard few questions:

• Where to stay? (preferably cheap and good ;))
• How to travel?
• Must-go places?

So this post is to tackle the first question. Here are a few recommendations here on the few places that I’ve had experience with, whether having stayed there myself or visited.

TIP!
If you are too lazy to read everything, skip to the “Why I recommend this place” + Pros/Cons near the end of each place.

Some people have the impression that Tokyo is a hideously expensive place for everything, but I’ll show you that you can get a decent place with minimal damage to your wallet!

The two types of accommodation in this post: Ryokans and Hotels.

Ryokans are traditional Japanese inns, meaning it’s very likely you will be sleeping on futons instead of beds, futons will be on tatami floors instead of carpets, and generally more like a house than a hotel.

In ryokans, there’s no room service, nobody cleans your room or makes your sheets, less “posh” or sleek than a hotel. The upside is that it’s usually cheaper! It also has a shared kitchen and lounging area so it’s a good place to mingle with other tourists (and maybe chat and exchange findings!) if you’re so inclined.

First up!
The place that YY and M stayed at when they were visiting just barely two weeks ago:

1. Asakusa Ryokan Toukaisou
浅草旅館東海荘

I can imagine you see the photo of the room and sian diao. HAHA.

Ok, granted, the photo of the room is not the most flattering, but this place is really a little gem… I’ll tell you why shortly. If I were a tourist, this would be the first place I’d check! Which is also the reason why this is the first place I’m featuring!

I’ll lay down the “facts” first:

Cost
Single room (futon): Around 4,500yen (~SGD 60)
Double room (mattress on floor): Around 6,600yen* (~SGD 89)
*cost is per room, not per person! 2 people in a double room = 3,300yen per person!
They also have dormitories (bunk beds), but I won’t cover that here. You can refer to the websites for pricing information.

Location
Nearest train station: Tawaramachi on the Metro Ginza Line
From station to ryokan: 5-min walk

♥ Why I recommend this place ♥

The location of this ryokan is fantabulous! There are lots of shops near the ryokan, including the walk from the station back. 24-hour supermarket, 24-hour sushi place, Mister Donut, good coffee, super good tempura, ramen, old school bakery, Daiso. One thing’s for sure – you’ll never be hungry staying here! Well, as long as you have money, obviously.

It’s also super convenient for traveling to other places!

1. The famous tourist spot – Kaminarimon （雷門) is within walking distance, and you can explore Asakusa after that.
2. Ueno (上野）, which houses several museums, the Ueno Zoo, Ameyoko shopping street, its just 2 train stops away!
3. Akihabara （秋葉原）, the Electronics town is only 11 mins away!
4. There is a straight train to Shibuya （渋谷）, which takes 30 mins.
5. 15 mins away from Ryogoku (両国), the Sumo town.

In summary…

+ Affordable
+ Excellent location!
+ Ryokan is surrounded by shops
+ Free Wi-Fi in room

– Very minimalistic services (but sheets, towels are/can be changed every other day)
– Small room (feedback from friends. But I’ve long accepted it as the standard in Tokyo)
– No children under 3 years old

Booking a room
Ryokan’s official website

*Prices are the same whether you book through the ryokan or Agoda, but I personally prefer booking through Agoda because if I’m going to spend the same amount of money, might as well get a portion back on it, right? Agoda rewards 4-7% of the room price, 30 days after checking out. Can use the points to offset future reservations!

For the price, location, and many nearby amenities, I think this ryokan is an excellent choice. Of course, it’s a no-frills place and you’ll have to do away with some creature comforts, but aiya! To me, as long as I can get a comfortable night’s rest, that’s all I need. But if this is not for you, no fear. Read on!

 

2. House Ikebukuro
ハウス池袋

Cost
Room for up to 2 (shared bath | futons): Around 5,600yen (~SGD 75)
Room for up to 2 (private bath | futons): Around 6,800yen* (~SGD 92)
*cost is per room, not per person! 2 people in a room with private bath = 3,400yen per person!
They also have rooms for up to 5 people, but I won’t cover that here. You can refer to the websites for pricing information.

Location
Nearest train stations: Ikebukuro station on the JR Yamanote line and Metro Marunouchi, Yurakucho, Fukutoshin Lines
From station to ryokan: 10-15 min walk

♥ Why I recommend this place ♥

A cosy place close to a major JR train station of the most popular train line in Tokyo for S$50 a night?! If this is not a good deal, I don’t know what is.

The places within easy reach!

1. Ikebukuro (池袋). Obviously. LOTS of departmental stores there, big brand electronic stores, manga shops. I will need a dedicated post just to tell you all about it.
2. 5 mins, straight train to Shinjuku (新宿)
3. 12 mins, straight train to Harajuku (原宿)
4. 14 mins, straight train to Shibuya (渋谷)
5. I could go on, but you get the idea. Basically any station along the JR Yamanote line, which houses a lot of major tourist spots, is accessible like *snap fingers*

Pros
+ Affordable
+ Excellent location!
+ Quiet neighbourhood
+ Light breakfast included
+ Free Wi-Fi in room

– Very minimalistic services
– Small room (feedback from friends. But I’ve long accepted it as the standard in Tokyo)
– Slightly long walk from station to ryokan
– Curfew of 12am. If you’re returning later than that, tell the staff or risk being stranded outside!
– 1,000yen charge for children between ages of 3 and 11
– Popular and difficult to book

Booking a room
Ryokan’s official website

*Prices are the same whether you book through the ryokan or Agoda, but I personally prefer booking through Agoda because if I’m going to spend the same amount of money, might as well get a portion back on it, right? Agoda rewards 4-7% of the room price, 30 days after checking out. Can use the points to offset future reservations!

If you don’t like the idea of futons, next up are the hotels!

 

3. APA Hotel Tokyo-Shiomi-Ekimae
アパホテル＜東京潮見駅前＞

Cost*
Single room (private bath | bed): Around 4,800yen (~SGD 65)
Double room (private bath | bed): Around 6,000yen** (~SGD 80)
*cost is taken from Agoda, not the hotel’s website, which is more expensive
**cost is per room, not per person! 2 people in a double room = 3,000yen per person!

Location
Nearest train station: Shiomi station on the JR Keiyo line
From station to hotel: 2 min walk

♥ Why I recommend this place ♥

I don’t know why it’s not more widely advertised on the hotel’s English website, but…

THIS HOTEL HAS  FRIKKIN’ ONSENS!!!

Now, hot spring baths are as Japanese an experience as it can get! If I were them, I’d pimp it more!

Ok, I think that about does it :D

There are both indoor and outdoor onsens, and my friends who went there spent a fair bit of time (read: one spent 1.5 hours there) soaking away their tourist aches at night. There are also several rest rooms, healing rooms and stretch rooms. All perfect for relaxation!

The location is also excellent if you are planning on visiting the Disney worlds!

1. 9 mins, direct train to the portal of Disney, Maihama (舞浜) station!
2. 7 mins direct train to Tokyo (東京)
3. 30 mins to Odaiba (お台場）

+ Affordable
+ ONSENS
+ Lawson convenience store inside the hotel
+ Great proximity to Disneyland and DisneySea
+ Very near train station!
+ Breakfast included
+ Children under 6 stay for free in existing bedding

– No Wi-Fi in room. Only in lobby.
– Small room (feedback from friends. But I’ve long accepted it as the standard in Tokyo)
– The train platform is far away from the other platforms in Tokyo station. About an 8 min walk

Booking a room
Hotel’s official website –> not recommended!

*Prices are NOT the same on hotel’s website and Agoda. Single room quoted on hotel’s website is 11,000yen vs Agoda’s 4,800yen! That’s more than 2x difference! Plus, Agoda rewards 4-7% of the room price, 30 days after checking out. Points can be used to offset future reservations – win-win!

 

4. Hotel MyStays Asakusa-bashi
ホテルマイステイズ浅草橋

 

 

Cost
Single room for 1 (private bath | bed): Around 7,100yen* (~SGD 95)
Double room for 2 (private bath | bed): Around 12,000yen** (~SGD 160)
*cost is taken from Agoda, not the hotel’s website, which is more expensive
**cost is per room, not per person! 2 people in a double room = 6,000yen per person!

Location
Nearest train stations: Asakusabashi station on the JR Sobu line, Subway Toei Asakusa line
From station to hotel: 4 min walk

♥ Why I recommend this place ♥

A decent, affordable hotel which is lies barely outside the heart of Tokyo!

Places within easy reach:

1. Akihabara (秋葉原) is just ONE stop away. 2 mins.
2. Ryogoku (両国), Sumo town, is the same. One stop, 2 mins.
3. Ueno (上野) is only 9 mins away
4. Tokyo Skytree is 18 mins away
5. Again, once you connect to Akihabara, you have all the standard popular stations within easy reach. Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Shibuya, etc.

+ Good location
+ Lawson convenience store right outside the hotel
+ Very near train station
+ Children under 6 stay for free in existing bedding

– Small room (feedback from friends. But I’ve long accepted it as the standard in Tokyo)

Booking a room
Hotel’s official website

*This hotel is a bit strange. Prices are cheaper on Agoda for some rooms, but cheaper on the hotel’s website for others. Best is to do a comparison for the room and dates you want! But don’t forget that Agoda rewards 4-7% of the room price, 30 days after checking out. Points can be used to offset future reservations! 

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With this, marks the end of the post!

Ok, wow. This took waaaay longer than expected.

I had to go bug all my friends to refresh my memory, check on all the websites to compare the prices, look for photos, edit the photos, check train timings, check the stations for each tourist spot, format the post again and again and again (blogger why you no WYSIWYG?!), you have no idea! (ok, maybe now you do – a little – since I just rambled on and on haha!)

I hope these will be of some help in selecting your accommodation in Tokyo! I think in the end it’s what you’re will to trade off. Price? Location? Distance from train station? Shiokness of a modern room?

No matter what your choice, I hope you’ll enjoy your trip to Tokyo!