Retreat NARITA — Hotel in Narita

At first glance, this property appears to be a simple and functional place to stay. It operates more like a hostel than a traditional hotel, offering basic but useful amenities such as shared showers and laundry facilities. The atmosphere seems clean, and the location is fairly central—convenient for accessing local attractions and public transportation.

I appreciated that the host allowed me to check in earlier than the scheduled time, which was helpful after a long trip. The sleeping setup in the mixed dormitory is minimal: individual mats on the floor, separated by curtains. This setup may not be ideal for everyone, but it’s serviceable if you only need a place to sleep.

However, there are several important things potential guests should be aware of. Luggage is not allowed in the sleeping area. Instead, you must store your belongings in a small cubby down the hall. Valuables can be placed in a small lockable cabinet, which offers limited security but not enough space for larger items.

Unfortunately, several issues during my stay seriously affected my comfort. First and foremost, privacy was a major concern. One time, a male staff member pulled back my curtain while I was lying down—just to ask if I needed towels. While possibly well-intentioned, it was intrusive and completely unnecessary. Towels could have easily been left outside the curtain. It felt like a violation of personal space and made me very uncomfortable.

Another issue involved the air conditioning. The listing mentions AC, but it’s remotely controlled by the host, and guests cannot adjust it. The host sets the temperature at 24°C (75°F), insisting that anything cooler is too cold for other guests. However, this is much warmer than typical shared environments—standard office spaces, for example, are kept around 18°C (64°F). I had difficulty sleeping, especially on the second night, due to how hot and stuffy it became. Not being able to control the temperature made the stay less restful.

Lighting was also an issue. The dormitory's main overhead light is turned off by the host at 11:00 p.m. and turns back on automatically at 8:00 a.m. Guests have no control over it. While this might be fine for some, it’s disruptive for anyone adjusting to a new time zone or needing rest outside of that window. The inability to manage your own lighting in a shared sleeping space adds to the sense of restricted autonomy.

The most disruptive part of the stay, however, was the ongoing construction next door. It was loud, occurred during the day, and varied in intensity—but none of this was disclosed in the listing. When I brought it to the host’s attention, his response was extremely disappointing. Rather than apologizing or offering any kind of resolution, he was quite rude: He told me I was free to leave—specifically stating he was tired of hearing my complaints and "miserable to make my voice so loud". This happened almost 10:00 p.m. the night before my scheduled checkout. His tone was dismissive and unprofessional, and it felt like an attempt to pressure me to leave early rather than address valid concerns that had been communicated respectfully. It became clear that constructive feedback was not welcome.

I’m generally very flexible when it comes to budget accommodations. I understand that shared spaces come with compromises, and I wasn’t expecting luxury. But the combination of privacy intrusions, lack of control over temperature and lighting, undisclosed construction noise, and the host’s unwillingness to engage in respectful dialogue made the stay far more stressful than necessary.

This place might work for very low-maintenance travelers who are simply looking for a floor mat and a roof for the night. But if you value comfort, personal space, or responsive communication, I’d suggest looking elsewhere. The name “Retreat” in the listing is especially misleading—there was nothing peaceful or restorative about the experience. Due to the hosts' severe lack of professionalism when communicating with guests no price point can justify this type...

Nice place. 4.5/5

Pros: ✅️Clean bathrooms, rooms and common areas ✅️Kozy ✅️Awesome location ✅️Has a vending machine for drinks just beside the building ✅️Has baggage area if you need to leave your baggage before and after check-in ✅️Has a baggage area for inside the bedroom ✅️Very quiet and serene ✅️There's fridge if you want to keep something cold ✅️Tatami floor for bedrooms. Authentic Japan experience and comfy

Cons: ●There is a curfew for the main entrance downstairs at 10:30PM so you can't go out even if you get hungry or thirsty (other than water). Be sure to bring something up before it's locked if you're like me who gets hungry at night or gets lazy to go out until it's later at night. ●No bidet (Owner has a point that some people get everything wet so he just did not put one) ●If you have heavy baggage with you, make sure you are willing to carry it up and down the stairs. ●Not good for those who can't walk up and down the stairs.

If you want a hotel type setup and luxury, do...

Nice hostel that was close to Narita airport. The rooms are nice and it was an interesting experience to sleep on tatami beds.

The luggage and locker was one of the more interesting ones I've seen, they provide padlocks with those keys.

Check in was also fuss free especially after hours, which was useful because I shuttled between Tokyo and Narita.

Narita airport was also very close by (30 mins) for my...