The hotel is located on the west side of Ikebukuro. Be careful not to be misled by Google Maps when searching for an exit with luggage. Just head west and look for Exit C6 (which has up/down escalators) or Exit 14 (which has an elevator). Google Maps led me to the East Exit near Exit 38, and I had a tough time dragging my suitcases through Ikebukuro Station! There are station maps inside Ikebukuro Station that show which exits have elevators.
The owner speaks Chinese, so communication was easy. It's the first time I've found a front desk that speaks Chinese after being in Japan for so long.
The hotel feels more like a guesthouse and doesn't have an elevator. Guests on higher floors should be mindful of carrying luggage; fortunately, I was on the second floor this time. The common area has tables, a water dispenser, and a large refrigerator where you can store drinks or food like chocolate. Just be aware it's shared, so bag your items to prevent others from taking them. Unlike other hotels, there's no coffee machine in the common area, but instant coffee packets are available. There's also a microwave to heat up bento boxes.
There are two men's and two women's shower rooms on the first floor, and another shower room on the top floor (4th floor). Fresh towels can be found in a bin near the entrance.
There's no washing machine or dryer on-site. You'll need to walk across the street to a laundromat, which can be inconvenient if it's raining. The dryers at that laundromat seem more suited for large loads (starting at 8kg), which might be overkill for tourists with fewer clothes. It costs 100 yen for 8 minutes of drying. I chose to dry for 16 minutes and then took my clothes back to the hotel to air dry them overnight with the AC. If you don't mind a bit of a walk, Google Maps can show you another laundromat nearby where you can dry clothes for 10 minutes for 100 yen. Also, you need to buy detergent for 50 yen at the laundromat. (However, if the owner is around, you might be able to get a little laundry detergent from them. I once had some cotton dolls that needed cleaning and the owner helped me out with some detergent for a quick wash – just don't ask for too much.)
The room is quite spacious, and the bed is wide. There's a small table for using a laptop or other items. All facilities are well-equipped. There are plenty of hooks for hanging clothes directly opposite the air conditioner, and you can adjust the airflow to help dry them.
Upon entering the hotel, you need to take off your shoes and put them in the public shoe cabinet, which doesn't have a lock. There are shared slippers, but I brought my own as I felt the shared ones might not be very hygienic. Be careful not to leave your personal slippers in the common area; keep them in your room, otherwise, someone might wear them away (one of mine was taken, luckily I had another pair). When going upstairs, socks are fine.
Near the hotel, there's a supermarket called Akashi Zatsujiten where you can buy inexpensive drinks, cheap fruits like bananas, and discounted bento boxes in the evening. It's open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 AM.
The owner was very kind and helped me receive a package, which they placed directly in my room. It was merchandise from a Bandori Live event. A few days before the event, there weren't many Bandori fans, mostly Caucasians and Indians. But in the following days, many more Chinese people arrived, all carrying cotton dolls. You can email the hotel to ask for the package receiving address, just remember to include your name.
Overall, this hotel is pretty good for Tokyo. It's close to Ikebukuro, making it convenient for travel, and also great for Bandori fans doing a pilgrimage.
My suggestion for the hotel: Please add a curtain divider between the two public shower stalls downstairs. Currently, only one curtain covers both, though I haven't encountered two people showering at the same time yet.
Original TextTranslation provided by AI
