Dirt Cheap Hostels in Tokyo

Per popular demand, I'm going to discuss what accommodations were like in Tokyo.

The guidebooks tend to steer you towards traditional hotels, which are rather pricey, even the ones which are marked as "affordable," or to ryokans, or traditional Japanese inns, which are also pricey though they usually include meals and a chance to sleep on tatami mats and futons. Personally, my goal is to minimize lodging costs as much as possible subject to getting some sleep and not getting bedbugs. In Tokyo, there are capsule hotels, which consist of a closed capsules only slightly larger than the Seinfeld dresser drawers, stacked on top of one another. While this is truly a one-of-a-kind Tokyo experience, they are geared towards businessmen and many don't accept women, or relegate you to the top floor. Plus, they aren't that cheap for what you get. So, I decided to bypass this option.

With some googling, you will find there are many hostels for backpackers and young travelers located in Asakusa. While this area does have attractions worthy of your time, Asakusa is located in the far northeast corner of the city, and it will take some time to get from one end to the other.

Instead, I chose to stay at the Sakura Hotel, located in central-east Tokyo near the Jinbocho station, and at the Ace Inn, located in central-west Tokyo near the Akenobashi and Yotsuya Sanchome stations. Both have English language websites and seemed like promising places to park my bags.

The Sakura Hotel offers single rooms (¥6,000), doubles (¥8,000) and triples, but they also have 6-person dorm rooms in the basement level for ¥3150 if you make your own bed, which is what I chose to do. The room, bathroom and premises were quite clean, and the blanket was this lovely, fluffy comforter that I wanted to curl up inside and never emerge from. You could rent a towel for ¥100, the wifi was free and very fast, and several computers in the lobby were available for (I think) ¥100 for 15 minutes use. For ¥315, you could get breakfast in the morning (unlimited coffee, tea and toast) but I picked up food elsewhere. The other lodgers were very friendly and tended to be in college age or in their 20s. It was very easy to meet people and find dinner mates. The front desk staff were very friendly, spoke English, and supplied me with a 3 prong converter for my laptop while I was there.

The Ace Inn offers capsule-like beds for around ¥4,000, but if you choose the 12-person mixed dorm, you will get a bed for ¥2,000 on their 10th floor which is a regular dormitory. This is simply a room with 12 beds in it, including two futons in an adjoining tatami room. The beds are not bunked, which gives you a little more space away from your dorm mates. Everyone was courteous and friendly, however since there are on average 8 people sleeping in the room every night, there is a fair amount of noise as people enter and leave. Hopefully, unlike me, you are not a light sleeper. There is a lounge on the 9th floor with a TV, and it is very easy to meet gregarious Australians there. Bicycles are available for rent for ¥500, and you will have a better selection the earlier you arrive. Wifi is free and there are computers in the lobby that you can use for free for 30 minutes. The hostel also sponsors tours to museums or other attractions for ¥500. My biggest complaint here is that the toilets were not very clean, and were often out of soap or toilet paper. The showers downstairs are ¥100 for 10 minutes and these seemed clean enough. There is free soap, shampoo, and towels. There is a lock-out period from 2-4:30 am, but if you tell them ahead of time that you are going out they'll let you in during that period.

Both hostels were located in semi-residential neighborhoods with not a lot going on after 9 pm. Then again, aside from Shibuya and Roppongi, not a lot is going on anywhere in Tokyo after 9 pm. Sakura Hotel was very close to 3 train lines, whereas the Ace Inn was close to the Shinjuku train line, which is run by the Toei company. Since I often used the all-day Metro pass (¥700) for transportation, this meant I had to walk 5-10 min to the Yotsuya Sanchome station, which is run by the Metro company. Not a big deal, but slightly more inconvenient than the Sakura Hotel location.

Neither place offered lockers in their dorms, though you could store luggage behind the front desk. I decided to have some faith in humanity and leave everything unlocked under my bed, including my laptop. Nothing was stolen. I love Japan.