Disclaimer: I am writing this review in exchange for a one-night stay at the Shinjuku Prince Hotel.
There is probably no single Tokyo hotel that I’ve walked by more than the Shinjuku Prince Hotel. Why? One, it’s in a cliché photogenic neighborhood, Kabukicho:
Two, I’m a frequent visitor to the Shinjuku Batting Center, home of my favorite batting cages in Tokyo.
It’s a good location for transportation, given that it’s a few minutes walk from the always percolating Shinjuku Station. Plus, it’s not terribly far from Nishi Shinjuku, home to many office buildings, and the observation deck at Tokyo’s City Hall.
Consequently, it was high time that I check out the Shinjuku Prince Hotel from a guest’s perspective.
Check-In
The hotel has a couple of entrances; one is street level, the other, on B1, is accessible by underground passageway which connects to both Shinjuku Station and Seibu Shinjuku Station. In fact, the little café in the lobby level conveniently has a timetable for Seibu Shinjuku trains.
Front desk staff were helpful, and efficiently processed my check-in at around 2:50pm (14:50). Check-in typically starts around 1pm (13:00).
Room
The property has a number of different room types; some of them had renovations that were just completed in September of this year.
My room happened to be of the Deluxe King type. It had a view looking down to Kabukicho, but it also could be called the Godzilla Room:
As expected for a Japanese hotel, upon first glance the room was clean and polished. There was ample storage space to hang clothes, a nice empty fridge, safe, and of course, slippers and a yukata (robe).
The a/c worked great, and for an extra benefit, there was a dehumidifier.
Plus, the view from the elevator bank was choice:
Dining
The property offers three dining options and one bar.
Located on the top floor (25th floor) of the hotel, FUGA is known for its Japanese cuisine such as teppanyaki, afternoon tea, and liquor bar.
Those views aren’t so bad either:
On B1, close to the reception desk, and stairs to the buffet restaurant, you have The Station Cafè Bar, serving up casual bites and beer. I have a hunch it’s called The Station because it has a pair of screens of departing Seibu Shinjuku trains.
Finally, we have Prince Marché, the buffet dining spot in the hotel. I will get into my experience there right after this practical photographic break:
Buffet Dining Prince Marché
Yes, I like buffets, but generally for breakfast or lunch. While traveling, I tend to get a fair bit of exercise, so a little infrequent gluttony can be just the ticket.
To be blunt, everything up until this point went well, as did everything thereafter. My only real issues during the stay were with the restaurant manager, who seemed to have a chip on his shoulder, and the loud and irritating music in the dining room. I had headphones, so it could have been worse.
Trifling matters aside, let’s see what the Shinjuku Prince Hotel had for breakfast.
For the rest of the dishes, I made a brief video of the display:
Lucky for me, the special dessert was banana bread pudding. It’s one of my favorites…unless it has raisins. This one only had dried fruit (and raisins) on top, so I gave it a spin.
Other good choices were the tofu with ginger, omelet, and bacon. Although I usually pile one plate high with salad — which they did have — I completely forgot it this time. Whoops.
Ultimately, I had a pretty good stay at the Shinjuku Prince Hotel. My room was quiet, the food decent, staff mostly nice, and the location worked both for my train ride from Narita, and my subsequent trip to Shiba Park (accessible by the Oedo line on the Toei metro system).
If you’re looking for a place to stay near one of Tokyo’s most prominent commercial and nightlife districts, I’d say this hotel does it well.
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