I have narrowed down 1 trillion great hotels to 4… but now I’m stuck lol.
It will be 2 people per room. We would like a hotel that’s very close in walking distance to not only the train but also a short trip to bars, restaurants, shops, etc… basically near the liveliness. Room size matters in a sense, but as long as it’s not a literal closet size, I’ll be okay.
The final 4 hotels feel very similar to me, even within price so if anyone could share personal experiences or opinions that would be super helpful so I can finally book 🙂
Shibuya Excel
Hotel Groove Shinjuku
Shinjuku Hotel Granbell
Hotel Gracery Shinjuku
by heeyebsx13
24 comments
How did Shibuya sneak on that list?
I’ll pick that just because it’s the odd one out lol.
In seriousness though they’re all fine so you’ll have a good time regardless. I will say Gracery hotel is the most novel one though and out of this list the ONLY hotel you won’t have trouble locating 😉
You said 2 people per room, sounds like you need more than one room? If you are close family/friends, and don’t mind staying in one big room, you may want to check out &Here and Mimaru hotels.
Stayed at Groove last week. Room was great (booked a Deluxe room with King bed) and breakfast was very good too. View from the room was incredible (I stayed at the 36th floor).
Location is very convenient as it’s close to Shinjuku station, so very easy to go anywhere in the city.
Wasn’t a big fan of the Kabukicho surroundings though, but that depends on what you’re into. If you’re looking for a lively neighborhood, well… That’s definitely the right spot 😅
Get the biggest room you can. Many are 11m2, and you will have zero luggage space.
Tthey are all much of a muchness really. All close to a train station and close to restaurants. Room sizes are Japan size lol. I think it just comes down to which one you like the look of and what you want to pay?
I’ve stayed at the gracery, it was fine, but the area is dicey at night!
I just stayed at Hotel Groove and it was sooo nice! The bed was really comfortable too. My husband & I did the deluxe king room and the floor to ceiling windows were awesome with beautiful views! You could see the godzilla head from the elevator every day, haha. Lemme know if you have any other questions!
If you plan on going out to bars and drinking at night and possibly staying out past midnight, then pick a hotel in Shinjuku. This way you can stay out late and walk to your hotel vs. having to pay for a cab.
Otherwise I vote Shibuya Excel. I’ve stayed there before and I liked how convenient it was to get to and from the station without having to walk outside. Yes it’s a little bit complicated and you’ll get lost a couple of times the first day or two but once you figure it out it’s pretty convenient. Also you’ll have access to a lot of malls … and this is important not because you want to do shopping but because a lot of these malls have restaurant floors higher up and some of them have food options in the basement floors that you can buy and bring back to eat in your hotel room.
Honestly the only other consideration I would advice you is to see which convenience stores are close to these hotels and pick the one closest to a 7-Eleven lol. The best hotel might end up being the one that you can quickly exit, get to a 7-Eleven and pick up some food / snack and get back to your room!
My wife just stayed at shibuya excel and gave a thumbs up. Her primary focus was shibuya shopping. She loved the room view of the scramble.
I last stayed at the prince shinjuku which was absolutely fine. I liked being next to the chaos instead of at the middle but doubt it makes any difference. I had stayed at another prince chain hotel so that was my main decision factor. My room had a great view of the gracery godzilla. All I wanted to point out is at the bottom of the groove building is an airport limobus stop so very convenient. Kabuchiko is indeed lively at night and entire area is filled with shopping and fun stuff.
My sister and I stayed in a both an Executive Twin room and a Special Art room during our stay at Hotel Groove Shinjuku, and we loved it! The rooms were way bigger than your average Japanese hotel room. I definitely plan to stay there on my next trip.
Whichever one comes included with onsen access, your body will thank you after 20k+ steps each day
We stayed at gracery shinjuku and it was great. Location was perfect.
We had a great experience at the Shibuya Excel.
I just checked out of Hotel Groove today. For what it’s worth I enjoyed my stay there. Price was cheaper for me compared to excel I think.
I know it’s not on your list but we just stayed at the Century Southern Tower in Shinjuku and absolutely loved it. Great location, but it’s not RIGHT in that messy chaos of Shinjuku like Gracery is. But it’s close enough.
You want a big room, you’ll get it at this hotel! Plus, every room has a view as the lobby is on like the 22nd floor, so all the rooms are above it. And the breakfast is great!
We stayed in the Gracery. The Godzilla theming is fun, 7/11 right outside, easy to find which helps, luggage forwarding service in reception every day, on site laundry. Room was on the small side, but that’s the norm.
Groove
All 4 seem great, but check on Expedia for those hotels to see if the prices are lower on there!
We stayed at the Shinjuku Granbell Hotel and it was great. We loved the location for its convenience. Very short walk to golden gai, and the rest of the action in the area. Make sure to check out thermae-yu super Sento.
Stayed at Hotel Groove twice, had a great time both times. I would put it ahead of the others on this list for sure
I stayed at Shibuya Excel last week. The hotel itself was fine, and overlooking Shibuya Crossing was pretty cool. Can’t speak for nightlife as I didn’t head out at night much but will highlight the limo bus access which pulls up to the lobby. I think it cost 1,400 yen. No need to deal with lugging suitcases in and out of train stations when you’re on your way to the airport.
Granbell is too far from station. While still a walking distance for Groove, but still ok for me since there’s lots of food options near the hotel. I don’t like the crowd below Gracery. I haven’t tried staying in Shibuya so can’t comment much. I prefer to stay near where Limousine bus is accessible.
Just stayed at Shibuya Excel for 5 nights and loved it! Limo bus goes straight there from the airport, the food market on the 1st floor, the train station right there and unlimited shopping right out the door. I also got to say hi to Hachiko daily 🐕 Oh, also room size was great. We had 2 beds + the sofa by the window which helped for packing our suitcases 😂
Just left Shibuya Excel hotel after 4 nights, very nice hotel no complaints at all. Nice area. I did wonder would Shinjuku have been a bit livelier, but you won’t go wrong with Shibuya Excel. It has a bus stop at the front door if you are coming from Haneda airport for a bonus point.
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