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This northern Tokyo capsule hotel is cheap, clean, comfortable, and has amazing amenities

Dale Roll Apr 13, 2024
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Consider staying here on your next visit to Tokyo!

The sleepy neighborhood of Sugamo in north-central Tokyo is famous for being a quiet, subdued neighborhood populated by elderly residents. But you wouldn’t think so if you went there at night! When the sun sets, the station area comes alive with bright lights and flashy signs advertising pachinko parlors and yakiniku restaurants.

One popular spot in the area that we recently discovered is a men’s only capsule hotel name Sunflower that’s just a 30-second walk from JR Sugamo Sation. We’d heard that it has a sauna, a manga library, and comfortable sleeping arrangements, so we decided to go check it out. We booked our room online for the relatively low price of 3,800 yen (US$25.05).

Sunflower is right under your nose as soon as you exit the North Exit of JR Sugamo Station. The official website lists its location as “a 30-second walk from the station,” but when we actually timed it, it only took 16 seconds. It was part of a dazzlingly bright multi-floor, multi-tenant building, which immediately caught our eye.

Sunflower took up the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors of the building. The elevator entrance was crowded with what looked like hotel guests waiting to get on, giving the place a bustling vibe.

We headed to the fifth floor reception area to check in. Before entering, you remove your shoes and place them in a shoe locker, which comes with a key.

Once your shoes are safely stowed away, you hand the key into the care of the front desk, which has a surprisingly luxurious vibe, and begin your check-in process.

Check-in starts at 11:30 a.m., and check-out ends at 10 a.m., which are both fairly convenient times. The early check-in time is pretty clutch if you arrive a bit early to the area and want to stow your belongings.

With check-in complete, we received a key to a locker in the changing room on the same floor, which is also where you can store your luggage. The lockers were tall and skinny, which was the perfect size for hanging up your backpack or a suit if you’re visiting on business. It could also probably fit a thin suitcase too, but nothing too large.

Inside the locker, loungewear, bath towels, and face towels were already waiting. We liked the loungewear; it was really soft and comfortable.

Before exploring the facility, we decided to head to the bath first. The bathing room was really open and spacious, and was outfitted with saunas and jet baths, plus 11 shower spots.

There were also two types of saunas: a steam sauna (which was low temperature) and a dry sauna (which was high temperature). It seemed like an awesome way to relax after a long day.

Near the bathing room was a fully outfitted powder room, which supplied facial toners, scalp treatments, toothbrushes, and hair dryers. We were so happy to see just about everything we could need for personal grooming arranged for us to use.

The staff clearly kept on top of the cleaning, as the powder room and hallway felt exceptionally clean. In fact, every room was pristine. It made our stay extra comfortable.

Before we headed to bed, we decided to explore the facility. When we descended to the lounge on the fourth floor…

We found rows upon rows of huge reclining chairs.

16 chairs, in fact! The spacious room was filled with luxurious-looking recliners, a magnificent spectacle. The cushions were thick and upholstered in leather, and when we sat down in one and realized how comfortable they were, we learned too late it was going to be difficult to get back up again.

In the free space next door, there were vending machines, free water dispensers, and a manga library.

The vending machines sold soft drinks, cup ramen, ice cream, and even alcohol, pretty much everything you’d crave after a nice bath. You’re also allowed to bring outside food in, which is where the microwaves come in handy.

The manga selection was absolutely exquisite. The shelves were packed with popular titles like Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and Jujutsu Kaisen. We could see ourselves really losing track of time there–especially if we laid down in one of those recliners to read.

By now you’re probably wondering about the most important feature, the capsule room. Don’t worry; fully relaxed after our bath and a recline in the comfy chairs, we climbed the stairs from the fourth floor to the sixth, where the capsule rooms awaited.

Our assigned room was clean and felt really quite fancy for a capsule, though the lights leaking in from the hallway outside were so bright it made our eyes water.

The bed and the pillow were super soft and fluffy, and the sheets were tightly fitted to the futon-style mattress. The material was really soft, and the temperature in the capsule was perfect for us.

It was actually pretty spacious inside; you could even hang out in there if you wanted. The ceiling was quite high, so we didn’t feel closed in at all. The flat-screen TV was a good size for easy viewing, and there was an outlet right by the head of the bed, which was perfect.

If we were to complain about something, it would be that, when we turned off the lights in our capsule, the exceptionally bright light from hallway shone through the cracks around the curtain. If you can’t sleep in anything but complete darkness, you may want to bring an eye mask.

Since Sunflower is so close to the station and you don’t have to worry about a long walk to the train, you can really take your time getting up in the morning and even sleep in if you like. It’s also pretty cool that you can see the station from the windows of the hotel. All in all, we were super impressed by how convenient the location was, and how comfortable, clean, and cheap our stay was, so we really recommend this place for men looking for budget accommodation in Tokyo.

Women, meanwhile, can book stays at this amazing ryokan-style capsule hotel, which allows both male and female guests, or the women’s-only Nadeshiko Hotel, which is also a great option. Don’t let the price of standard hotel rooms turn you away from a trip to Tokyo!

Hotel information
Sunflower / サンフラワー
Tokyo-to Toshima-ku Sugamo 2-5-4
東京都豊島区巣鴨2-5-4
Website

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