Must-see hotels in Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

This eyrie atop a Tange Kenzō–designed skyscraper in west Shinjuku looks no less tasteful and elegant than when it opened more than 20 years ago, and it…

If bookstores are your happy place you'll feel right at home at this hostel where the beds are fitted into bookshelves. The capsule-style bunks have…

One of Tokyo's cooler concept hostels has beds tucked inside bookshelves (most books are in Japanese, but some are in English). 'Compact' bunks have 80cm…

This old standby lacks the designer charm of Tokyo's newer hostels but makes up for it with its multilingual, four-star-hotel-level front-desk service…

This large outpost of the rather generic Japanese hotel chain Sunroute offers a winning combination of price and location. The comfortably modern rooms…

The big draw of this huge (970 rooms!) hotel is the enormous Godzilla statue atop it (you, and taxi drivers, will have no trouble finding it). It's fairly…

Kimi Ryokan has been a traveller favourite for decades and it's easy to see why: the tatami rooms and shared bathrooms (including a Japanese cypress bath…

This is really an ordinary business hotel masquerading as a boutique one, but the stylish lobby, local info and helpful English-speaking front-desk staff…

This long-running independent hotel, located among the restaurants and bars of Nishi-Shinjuku (a five-minute walk from Shinjuku Station), offers great…

This is the only upmarket accommodation in Shinjuku that seems to assume its guests will actually be getting around by public transport – it's just steps…

9 Hours calls its capsules 'pods' which fits with the space-station sleek design, hushed vibe and views of the Shinjuku skyline (just one train stop away)…

A 15-minute walk north of Shinjuku Station (five minutes from Shin-Ōkubo Station), Sekitei is a traditional inn with clean and comfortable tatami rooms…

The rooms here are tiny and basic, but you won't find a hotel in Shinjuku (and this close to the station!) with more creative panache. Apartment Hotel is…

Rooms are stark to the point of having zero personality, but this fairly new hotel has easy access to the subway and Shinjuku's nightlife. Double rooms…

This older, but clean and well-run, capsule hotel in Kabukichō is just for women. Amenities include a big shared bath, sauna, pyjamas, towels, hairbrushes…

This is a rare, truly budget option in Shinjuku, just blocks from the neighbourhood's nightlife (but in a location that allows you to avoid passing…

The Granbell is very popular with visitors from all over. It has a variety of room choices at a different price points (from small budget singles to…

Bright and modern, Citadines has compact studios with queen-sized beds, kitchenettes and a sitting area. Some rooms have additional sofa beds (extra…

This traveller favourite has friendly staff, lots of city info and an excellent location – just in front of the Higashi-Shinjuku subway station. Rooms are…

The rooms here are tiny, but what you’re really paying for is convenience: the hotel is just a couple of minutes walk from Shinjuku Station. Though the…