9h nine hours woman Shinjuku — Hotel in Tokyo

I stayed here from August 4 to August 12, 2024, and I wouldn’t recommend this place.

Firstly, the location is problematic, as it’s situated in an area surrounded by bars, which means there are often drunk, loud men lingering outside the building, especially in the early mornings. Upon arrival at 6 a.m., this was my first impression, and it felt uncomfortable.

Secondly, the building’s access system relies on a keycard with a QR code containing your locker number and other details. If lost, this could allow anyone to access the premises, as neither the building nor the pods are locked. Besides, despite being able to dim the pod lights, outside light shines through the curtains into the pod. Additionally, soap is not provided, so you need to bring your own for showering.

Thirdly, the lockers are very cramped. If someone opens their suitcase in front of their locker, it blocks access to the others. Medium-sized luggage doesn’t fit in the lockers, so you’re forced to leave it in the hallway, which often obstructs other guests.

Fourthly, guests must vacate the building by 10 a.m. sharp, as announced repeatedly over the intercom. I missed this detail when booking, and the constant announcements felt intrusive, especially when I was unwell during my stay. On one occasion, I had to spend hours outside until 2 p.m., the time guests are allowed back inside. This was especially exhausting for me as I was unwell at the time and desperately needed to rest in bed that day.

Fifthly, I had particularly unpleasant interactions with one staff member. On the first day, I forgot about the 10 a.m. rule and returned briefly to take medication I had forgotten. The staff member followed me aggressively, shouting, and retrieved a flyer to emphasize the rule while muttering angrily to herself. Even after I explained my situation, she continued circling me and stood intimidatingly by my locker. I left the building within five minutes, but she followed me to the elevator to ensure I left.

Sixthly, on the last day, I had another unpleasant encounter with the same staff member. I was trying to manage my luggage and briefly returned one suitcase to my locker within the check-out time. Despite seeing me with my bags, she loudly questioned in front of other guests if I was staying there and demanded proof. Although I showed my pass, she continued shouting and verified my stay on her iPad. The public nature of her behavior was embarrassing, and given the pattern, I started questioning whether her treatment was racially motivated (I am a brown woman). When I reported this to management, their response felt dismissive and unsatisfactory.

Overall, I do not recommend this stay. The atmosphere, staff behavior, and strict policies made my experience very uncomfortable. The management’s lack of adequate response to my complaint was disappointing. For these reasons, I...

First off, the pods. They were much more spacious than I had assumed, and surprisingly my neck didn't hurt after sleeping with the pillow, considering how flat it felt (but it was pretty solid). I felt refreshed after every night even if I had only slept 4 hours 😅 The pods weren't exactly clean though, I could see layers of dust on the turn button for the light in the pod, and also the place to put your phones, spectacles, etc. They do change the bed sheets though.

Next, the lockers. The locker was a little tight for my 27" luggage (could fit the wheels, but the body...). Luckily mine was a soft cover luggage, so I could squeeze it in. However, it isn't suitable for those with multiple luggage as there is only space for 1. Many people placed their luggage along the walkway in the locker/shower level, so walking around was abit of a hassle. There are only 2 hangers so bring along your own if you need more. I had 2 extra bags (a duffel bag and a backpack) so I didn't have enough space, not even for the mesh bag the capsule hotel provided. I had to place some of my purchases in my friend's locker on my last day here.

Moving on, the showers. I really liked the showers, the temperature was easy to control and the pressure of the water coming out was just nice for me. Shampoo, body soap and conditioner were all provided in the shower rooms. There is a dry area with shelves before the shower room, so you can place your clothes there and dry yourself before exiting.

Next next, the sinks/basins. There were hair dryers that were easy to use. They had three options: cold wind, slightly warm and strong warm wind. There were also tissues provided at the basins. I'm glad that almost everyone who finished using this area would use either the tissues or their own towels (provided by the capsule hotel) to wipe the stations dry, for the next person to use.

Lastly, the lounge. It was a really good place to wind down and relax. There was a vending machine. I read some reviews here stating that facial products aren't provided; that's not entirely true. It's not provided for FREE though hahahaha, you'll have to buy it at the vending machine. There were facial cleansers if I remember correctly.

Overall, I'd say this place isn't too bad. I did hear some snoring and talking, but since I am a fast sleeper, it didn't affect me as much. The only things I didn't like were the size of the lockers and how there was no place to dry my wet towels (which I needed to use again because I bathe twice a day). The only place to hang them were in the small and stuffy lockers, which would make the other items in the...

I stayed in this capsule hotel for about 4 nights - first time in Tokyo. My friend also stayed here for a couple nights and she stated for the price, there are other capsule hotels that offer a more comfortable stay. This place is quite affordable, but I would say it’s an average of 3 stars at best.

Location - this place is about a 15 mins walk from Shinjuku Station. On my first night, it was quite the trek lugging my big suitcase to the hotel. There is a smaller station that’s located about an 8 min walk. The surroundings at night is a bit sketchy as there’s lots of gay bars around the area, and doesn’t necessarily feel like the safest. Shinjuku seems like a younger party town so in the mornings there isn’t much open until at least 11am.

Hotel - Upon arrival, the self check-in was pretty straight forward. Make sure you have your passport handy. The hotel floors are separated into the locker area + shower area and then another floor solely for the sleeping pods. The locker is spacious enough as it did fit my big suitcase, but I did see many other women not being able to fit their suitcase and it was just outside in the hallway. The locker/shower area is quite small and it’s hard to even walk around and open your suitcase to organize things. It felt really crammed. The shower seemed standard and clean enough. Also make sure to take your card everywhere, as I did put mine in the locker and then closed the door accidentally; you’ll need the card to unlock the locker.

Sleeping pods - the pod itself was alright. I was on the top bunk and seemed to have trouble getting down and using the little steps for some reason. Despite the area requesting guests to be quiet, the reality is that it’s a shared space and I heard lots of people ruffling through their bags in the middle of the night. I wouldn’t recommend this for very light sleepers. The temperature seemed a bit stuffy and the pod itself had the bare essential, with no TV no hanger, no stand to put your stuff.

Service - the staff there don’t speak English. No one is there to great you. If you need anything there’s a phone that you can call into and then the staff there are located by the front door, behind the hidden mirror. This isn’t a place where you would get readily service. I requested my stay to be extended one night as I misbooked another hotel, and the staff there didn’t know what to do and just referred me to the website.

Overall, I wouldn’t stay here again. I think there are better capsule hotels for your...