Do not be fooled by the beautiful photos of Hotel Iili Shimokitazawa. My experience felt like a complete scam, and a quick look at the negative reviews shows I am far from the only one. Other guests repeatedly complain about a strong smell of smoke in the rooms, showers that barely work or do not work at all, and loud noise from nearby nightlife at night. On top of that, the staff is essentially non-existent when a problem comes up, there is no one to help you and no real support to count on. In my case, I arrived, was so disappointed by the actual condition of the place compared to the listing that I left without staying, and was not refunded a single yen. The hotel refused to make things right despite the obvious gap between what is advertised and what you actually get which, in my view, is exactly how a scam works: lure people in with beautiful photos, deliver something completely different, and keep the money no matter what. The photos online do not reflect reality. If you value a clean room, a working bathroom, a quiet night, and basic customer service, stay somewhere else there are plenty of much better options in Shimokitazawa for the same price or less. Learn from the bad reviews. Do not make the same mistake I did.
