10 Hotels in Tokyo for Unique and Extraordinary Experiences

Invaluable Hotel Experiences

If you are traveling all the way to Tokyo, you may want to stay in a hotel distinguished for its services or interior. In Tokyo, there are numerous hotels that offer special, concept-driven experiences, such as unlimited access to books, services modeled on first-class airplane cabins, and on-site theaters. In addition to offering outstanding services, these hotels are great places to create wonderful memories. You may have new realizations or discoveries through these extraordinary experiences. 

10 Hotels in Tokyo for Unique and Extraordinary Experiences

1. BOOK AND BED TOKYO SHINJUKU

BOOK AND BED TOKYO SHINJUKU is located just 8 minutes on foot from Shinjuku Station and 1 minute from the South Exit of Seibu-Shinjuku Station. It has a Book Lounge, so guests can enjoy their overnight stays surrounded by books. 

The interior is designed in wood tones that together with the sofa create a warm atmosphere to enjoy the up to 4,000 books on the bookshelves covering the walls. True to its concept as a “bookstore you can stay in,” this is the perfect place for book lovers to immerse themselves in their favorite books before going straight to bed.

The guestrooms are embedded in the bookshelves, yet are sufficiently roomy with electrical outlets and book lamps so you can lose yourself in books in a private space. Some of the guestrooms have windows with wonderful night views of the city for a little added luxury. 

The hotel also has all the facilities necessary for a comfortable stay, such as free Wi-Fi, air conditioning, a microwave, and towels. If you choose to have breakfast included, you can enjoy a stylish fruit sandwich. 

2. First Cabin Akasaka

First Cabin Akasaka is just 1 minute on foot from Akasaka Station. It is a capsule hotel designed to mimic the first-class cabin of an airplane. The rooms are compact but still feel luxurious, so you can experience the comfort of first-class services. 

The entire hotel is designed to emulate first-class travel, so even the reception and lounge area reminds one of an airport. The hotel is in a convenient location for moving to and from train stations and airports and is perfect to stay at on the way home from work or traveling on business. An added bonus is that it is more reasonably priced than other “business hotels.”

The guestrooms are divided into sections for men and for women to ensure a comfortable stay for solo female travelers. There is a generous selection of amenities, such as pajamas, towels, skin lotion, moisturizer, and cotton swabs, which are helpful for those sudden stays.

The guestrooms that are designed like first-class cabin rooms are compact, yet functional and stylish. Why not enjoy a comfortable stay as if flying first class? 

3. Theater Zzz

Theater Zzz, which is just 4 minutes by foot from Ryogoku Station on the Toei Oedo Line, is a new style of hotel designed to suggest an open-air theater. It is located in the Ishihara area of Sumida Ward, full of the ambiance of a traditional working-class neighborhood.

This is a mixed-gender dormitory-style hotel where tents are pitched in a theater-like space with a screen. It accommodates up to 18 guests and can be completely privately rented. This is a wonderful place to enjoy the extraordinary experience of watching a movie together with others in a space with no partitions.

Sleeping areas are created by pitching tents using large sheets of cloth which can be connected and expanded to join with close friends. There is a comfortable, homey atmosphere, great for bonding with friends.

Movies from around the world are screened in the background and are available for overnight guests and cafe guests to enjoy together. There is also a variety of events held to promote networking.

4. LYURO Tokyo Kiyosumi

LYURO Tokyo Kiyosumi is located along the banks of Sumida River, a 10-minute walk from the Tokyo Metro’s Kiyosumi-shirakawa Station. A quiet, relaxing space befitting an area known for its arts and crafts, it is a lovely hotel to enjoy spending time by the water with views of Sumida River.

The rooms are liberating spaces with large windows overlooking the Sumida River, through which you can enjoy the warm sun and views of the flowing river and the traditional, retro neighborhood. The rooms are delightfully decorated in tones of blue to represent the water.

The hotel was designed with the concept of “coexisting with the area” in mind and is designed to incorporate and disseminate the charms of the local community and provide a venue for people to come together. It is a wonderful place to stay in to feel and appreciate the appeal of the surrounding area.

The shared space, KAWATERRACE®, is modeled on a type of seating that is popular in Kyoto in the summer, where restaurants and cafes create seating outside or above rivers for guests to cool off. It covers one of the biggest plots in the country, creating a refreshing and open space that is unique to this waterfront location. Such a seating option is still rare in Tokyo, so it is sure to explode in popularity at any time.

5. UNDER RAILWAY HOTEL AKIHABARA

UNDER RAILWAY HOTEL AKIHABARA, only a 3-minute walk from Akihabara Station and a 2-minute walk from the Tokyo Metro’s Suehirocho Station, is a hotel built under railroad tracks.

Despite its location under railroad tracks, the hotel’s interior is a relaxing space decorated in earth tones. The hotel’s concept is “urban LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability)” and the rooms are fully equipped with TVs, air conditioners, and refrigerators.

A unique feature of this hotel is the sound of the trains that pass right above. It is a rare and unusual experience and a wonderful way for foreign visitors to feel the lively power of the grand metropolis of Tokyo.

The hotel has a casual cafe & bar on site—a great place to enjoy coffee in the morning and a drink in the evening. Its convenient location is perfect for visiting tourist destinations such as Akihabara Electric Town.

6. SHIBUYA HOTEL EN

SHIBUYA HOTEL EN is in a great location, just a 7-minute walk from Shibuya Station and close to Shibuya Scramble Crossing and Shibuya Center-Gai. It is a hotel that pursues both sophisticated design and comfort.

Each guest room depicts a unique worldview with exceptional designs that cannot be seen in any other hotel. In addition to expressing the Japanese “wa” aesthetics with the use of natural wood and stones, there are also stunning decorations with Noh Theater mask art pieces and manga-style wallpaper.

This is a stylish, quirky hotel designed with a variety of influences ranging from traditional Japanese traditional to pop culture and Western culture and will be particularly fun and interesting for visitors from abroad. The interior and beds are simply decorated in white, avoiding any gaudiness.

The SHIBUYA HOTEL EN logo symbol depicts an “enso,” a circle painted with a single stroke to represent the moment of enlightenment. The hotel aims to be an accommodation for guests to relax in and form an “en” (bond/relationship) with the place they are visiting.

7. Henn Na Hotel Maihama Tokyo Bay

Henn Na Hotel Maihama Tokyo Bay is located about 4 minutes via public bus or free shuttle bus from JR Maihama Station, or about 15 minutes from Tokyo Metro’s Urayasu Station. It is easily accessible from Tokyo Disney Resort and Haneda Airport.

True to its slogan of being “a hotel that promises to continue changing,” the hotel utilizes state-of-the-art technology that meets contemporary requirements in a variety of ways. It has a robotic dinosaur attending the reception desk and has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the first hotel to be staffed by robots. Interacting with the dinosaur makes contactless check-in not just safe and smooth, but also wild and exciting.

The rooms are equipped with a “Robohon”: a cross between a humanoid robot and smartphone that acts as a concierge, offering local information and wake-up calls as well as entertainment such as quizzes and dancing.

The rooms are fully equipped with free Wi-Fi, baths, refrigerators, dryers, and various other amenities. Henn Na Hotel is the first in the industry to adopt high-density foam mattresses with excellent body pressure dispersibility used on Shinkansen bullet trains. A night on these comfortable mattresses will rejuvenate you from the pressures of traveling.

8. Park Hotel Tokyo

Park Hotel Tokyo is in a prime Tokyo location, just 1 minute on foot from Shiodome Station with easy access to Haneda Airport. Designed with the tagline of “Infinite Time and Space Amid Cognizant Japanese Beauty,” the hotel is like a museum that displays more than 400 pieces of art at any given time.

All guestrooms on the Artist Floor (31st floor) have murals painted right onto the walls, so the space itself is a work of art. Each room has a different theme, such as “Edo-Tokyo,” "Haiku" poetry, and “Japanese Angel." The guestrooms are all adorned with vivid colors in a style that is contemporary yet imbues a sense of Japanese tradition. Artworks and products by the artists featured on the Artist Floor are available for purchase online.

The views of Tokyo through the large guestroom windows are also not to be missed. The rooms are spacious with high ceilings and comfy beds so the guests can enjoy a truly luxurious time.

There are art exhibitions all year round at the front lobbies of the second basement level, first floor, and 25th floor, and the hallways of the guestroom floors from the 26th to 34th floors. A stay at this hotel is an opportunity to truly immerse yourself in the world of art.

9. OMO5 Tokyo Otsuka by Hoshino Resort

OMO5 Tokyo Otsuka by Hoshino Resort is a 1-minute walk from Otsuka Station, and its convenient location offers easy access to tourist destinations such as Asakusa and Tokyo Dome, as well as major centers such as Tokyo Station. It is the perfect hotel for those planning to travel a lot while in Japan.

The rooms are compact but have a variety of cool design features that give it the feel of a secret base. There are tatami mats so you can relax in your bare feet and the “box staircase” that leads to the bed are actually storage spaces that fit like a puzzle.

The "Multifunctional Wall" incorporates a variety of features such as a TV, hangers, and towel rack so that everything can fit in a compact space and ensures more space in the rest of the room.

The YAGURA Room’s bedframe is made of hinoki cypress, a material with a smooth texture and beautiful aroma that softens the atmosphere of the whole room. The room is compact but has a variety of smart design features that make it fun to look at and be in. This is the perfect hotel to enjoy staying in one of Hoshino Resort’s stylish accommodations at a reasonable price.

10. The Millennials Shibuya

The Millennials Shibuya is a 6-minute walk from Shibuya Station. It is a futuristic accommodation befitting Shibuya, the hip center of youth culture, where guests can experience the Internet of Things (IoT) using iPods.

The rooms are compact, but with 120 cm-wide semidouble beds and premium-quality 25 mm mattresses, they are comfortable accommodation spaces, unlike other capsule hotels. The beds can be reclined to any angle so they double as sofas. There is plenty of space in front when they are in sofa mode, so you can stretch your legs and relax.

Instead of an alarm, the lights and the bed’s angle change in the morning as a gentle alarm system—a very innovative way of waking up. Everything is controlled by an iPod that you receive at check-in.

There is an 80-inch screen in front of you, so you can use your PC and smartphone to cast video and enjoy a private theater experience.

For One-of-a-Kind Hotel Experiences in Tokyo

This article recommended ten unusual hotels in the Tokyo area, including unique capsule hotels. Each of them has unique features that are sure to pique your interest. There are many other creative hotels in Tokyo, so be sure to look around to find the perfect one for you.

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