WHERE TO STAY IN TOKYO 2025: Popular Areas, Top 10 Hotels & Tips on Budget Travel

WHERE TO STAY IN TOKYO 2025: Popular Areas, Top 10 Hotels & Tips on Budget Travel

Hi everyone and welcome to my channel. My name is Tina. I’m living and working in Tokyo already for a very long time. I’m now working as a content creator and tour guide. And because of that, I know that many people who are coming to Japan struggle to find the right accommodation. Today’s video I want to introduce to you different areas to stay in in Tokyo, the most popular ones. And I’m going to give you a short list of host, budget hotels up to luxury hotels in Tokyo that I would recommend based on what I hear from others. But I have been doing a lot of research to make this list as good as possible. I’ve been talking to a lot of people who have been staying at these places. Let’s get started. One thing that people don’t realize coming to Tokyo is Tokyo is such a huge city and you can kind of split it into two different sides. On one side you have famous modern parts of Tokyo like Shinjuku, Shibuya. You have also Iikabukuro and Harajuku for example. On the other side of Tokyo you have for example places like Asakaeno if you’ve heard of it. You have the Tokyo Tower there on that side and Sky Tree for example. So a lot of other sites and important places are here and there and then Imperial Palace is somewhere in the middle of Tokyo and a couple of others. So you can split it basically and no matter if you’re choosing a hotel on this side or on this side it will take you nearly an hour to get to the other side like 40 minutes to 60 minutes to get from a this side to this side. So that is why it can be important to choose in advance on which side you’re going to stay or maybe to choose intentionally not to stay on either side. Another place that is very inconveniently located is the Toyosu former Tsukijichi fish market. Just a random fun fact, but if you want to get, for example, with a train to the fish market, it no matter from where you go, it’s going to take you a lot of time. Here are seven areas that many people choose to stay in. Number one, Shinjuku. Shinjuku is the most popular area. Everyone knows Shinjuku. For firsttime visitors, Shinjuku might be a good choice because it’s really conveniently located with Shinjukui station being the second biggest station worldwide. Did you know that the biggest stations in Tokyo are Shibuya Shinjuku and Ikabokuro, all on the same side? You have some major attractions here. You have Shinjuku Park. You have Kabuki Cho, the biggest entertainment district in Tokyo. You have the weird cat display in front of the station. You have Yoko Cho. You have tons and tons of shopping opportunities, dining opportunities, lots of izakayas and bars. It’s an amazing night life in Shinjuku. Fun, a little bit crazy. The downside, really the downside is it is always, always, always crowded and well, a little bit more expensive. As I already mentioned, it’s difficult to find something affordable. Number two is going to be Shibuya. This is the the other place. Everyone knows about Shibuya in Shinjuku. So again, good location. Shibuya station is one of the biggest stations in Tokyo. You can get from Shibuya station anywhere. Be aware of the fact that when you try to get from Shinjuku Shibuya station to other places that is going to take you also a lot of time to find the right train because every train goes from there. Those stations are like smaller cities inside a city. So you’re also losing a little bit of time. It might be convenient at the same time it is not because you’re getting lost there probably. Shibuya has the famous Shibuya crossing Hachiko statue. Shibuya Sky is a little bit new but it’s like an observation deck, right? Again, tons of shopping, tons of dining options, uh fancy cafes, fancy boutiques and stores. Really very popular among young people. Also great night life. Great for night life. The same thing. I think the downside is Shibuya is always crowded. No exceptions. Number three, Dongi. So I talked about these two sides of Tokyo, right? Dongi is quite centrally located. You have the Modi Art Museum there. So one of the two bigger team lab exhibitions is in Dubongi. You have the Tokyo Tower in this area as well. Pongi is more quiet, way more quiet than Shinjuku and Shibuya. You don’t have as many crazy things that you will see. It’s it’s a normal but also an upscale area. If you are on a budget, definitely avoid Roongi and Ginsza. They are the most expensive areas in Tokyo if I’m not wrong. But it’s also a good location because you’re basically more in the center and you can get easily to the east side and to the west side. Number four getting more popular now for tourists who are looking for hotels. Asaka is the traditional side of Tokyo. But you can call it traditional, you can also call it touristy. It’s so it has become so popular that it is also kind of overrun with tourists. So here you have the famous Senzoji, the biggest and oldest temple in Tokyo. You have Sumida River on that side. You have the sky tree close by. And then you can also get to Ginsa pretty easily from Asaka and areas like Nihonashi Nihonbashi which are similar a little bit similar to Ginsa. One thing that you should do if you’re in Asaka or like just like a little fun fact here, um, rent a kimono that Asaka is the best place to rent a kimono actually because there you can walk around the area and take photos. If you do that, try to go on a weekday and early in the morning when there are less people. Number five, Weno. Have you heard of Weno? So, a lesser known area in Tokyo, but more affordable. You have Weno Park close by which is very popular during Sakura season. very beautiful. You have the Ueno Su if you’re interested in going to. It’s nice for families, but you have also a couple of shopping opportunities, enough dining opportunities, enough bars and isakayas. You have Amayyoko, which is like a f more famous shopping street in Tokyo where you can get also some street food and some traditional foods and whatnot. Number six, Akihabara. I would not personally choose Akihabara to stay in. So, but here are the pros and cons. So Akihabara is that area in Tokyo that is known for anime and manga merch or game merch or electronics. So if you are into anime and manga, that’s the place you want to go to. If you like electronics, cameras and whatnot, that’s the place you want to go to. Uh you can find huge electronic stores everywhere in Tokyo. However, in Asaka, you have also tons of secondhand electronic stores. There shouldn’t be too many alo options actually to stay in the nakihabara but still worth mentioning because it’s so unique in its own way. It’s very much and not traditional. Last but not least, Ginsa is surprisingly popular among tourists. So Ginsa is one of the most expensive areas in Tokyo upscale. So a lot of fashion brands like Gucci and Braa and whatnot. And Ginsza is yeah the the good side is it’s a little bit quiet. It’s on the same side as Asaka basically. So, Ginsa, Asaka are kind of closed. You can also find a lot of more traditional shops at least there like Japanese crafts are incredible and they have so many that they still preserve up to this day that like I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of kinsugi for example, the art of repairing broken pottery and things like that. And they have shops that sell items from like Japanese traditional crafts. They have a lot of these shops there as well in this area like Asaka, Ginsza. That are the most popular areas to stay in. And I hope I got you a good summary of how they are different. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions. Just to give you some honorable mentions, if you want to look into some more local areas in Tokyo, you can try for example places like Kagura Saka, Daikanyyama, Akasaka, like Chimjo. I don’t know if there are many hotels. Io is also a popular area, but it’s more on the budget side for example. Now, here is my list of recommendations for host, hotels, budget hotels. Number one, the Wise Old Host in Shibuya. So, we are going to start with host. That is usually your cheapest option. Host kind of also made for like long-term stays. So, there is nothing wrong with taking a hostel instead. I have been staying at a lot of different host. I think that many hosts, even if they’re pretty cheap, provide a certain standard here in Tokyo. They are usually safe and clean and like provide you with everything that you need. Hostels are going to be your cheapest option in Tokyo. And some of them, they have a wide variety of different hosts in Tokyo from very simple ones that provide the bare minimum basically, but are still okay to kind of luxury host. I just recently figured that on on like Booking.com, there are host in Tokyo that have a bunk bed for you. you’re staying in a in a room with others, but like the amenities and the place itself is so luxury and so upscale that it’s it’s basically like like a mix of like luxury hotel and hostel which was so weird for me and never stayed at such a place but in case you’re interested in that. Then at hostels you usually find bunk beds like you’re sleeping together with other people in one room. I would usually try to find rooms that have a minimum like four people or something like that or six people max. This is going to be difficult in Tokyo maybe to find small rooms like that because the less people the easier is probably going to be to sleep. You can get private rooms at host. My experience is that private rooms at host are not cheaper than hotel rooms and they are also not better. So instead of a private room at the hostel, take a cheap hotel room instead. Then host usually also have like shared room like shared common space, kitchens, work space, uh depending on the place, common areas where you can just hang out, meet other people. So host are a great place to meet other travelers if you are a solo traveler. The Wise Old Hostel is located about 15 20 minutes from Shibuya station. So in a quite in a good area in a residential area. There’s one in Shibuya that has a branch in Asaka and there’s also one in Sapuro and in Kyoto for example. This is always a good sign that it’s a good hostel if they have different branches in other places which means that the hostel was doing so well that they opened up different branches in other places. Number two, Unplan in Shinjuku. Another hostel. It’s a modern hostel with private rooms, but also dorm rooms. It has a lively lounge area, so it’s more for social travelers who want to meet other people. Features a rooftop, a bar, and other common spaces. If you have any recommendations, by the way, leave them in the comments so that we can gather more recommendations. Moving on, we are now coming to capsule hotels. Did you know that capsule hotels originally were made for salary men in Japan who missed their last train? Good capsule hotel chain is for example the 9 hours. They have different branches in Tokyo like Shinduku, Akasaka, Hamatsu Jo and they have quite a minimalistic slightly futuristic design even they are quite good for working for digital nomads I would say because apart from the capsule you will get larger common spaces where you can work again capsule hotels not necessarily for long-term stays host a little bit more. Um, but if you want to try either of them, if you’re really, really on a budget, these are your options. Then moving on, business hotels, that’s going to be the next level. And the most popular hotel chain in Tokyo, or they also have hotels in Kyoto, Osaka, and I don’t know where else, the APA hotel chain. They are the maybe one of the cheapest hotel chains, but you get your own room and they have everything you need and they look very nice. So, and everyone I talk to loves this hotel. People tell me very positive things about it. If you are on a budget but still want a hotel room, this might be your best. Generally, if you want a cheap hotel, look for business hotels. Like that are the ones that have the minimum amount of whatever you need. Number five, the hotel Sunroot Plaza in Shinjuku, which is a mid-range hotel. I had several of my clients staying there. So, and none of them said anything negative about it. I think it’s a good hotel in a decent location close to very close to Shinjuku Station. It also offers you everything that you need. It’s supposed to have very comfortable rooms and is close to major Tokyo attractions as it’s located in Shinjuku. Number six, Hotel Graery. You know the one with the Godzilla head on top? That is the one in Shinjuku. There are others. They have different branches. There’s the one in Shinjuku. There is one uh close to Tokyo Tower. There are also mid-range hotels and I’ve seen a lot of people who stayed there and who like them. So, I think they are pretty good. Also, like the one in Shinjuku is just really famous. So, I recently learned why you cannot go up to the Godzilla head anymore. I made a video about the Godzilla head couple of years ago and a lot of people saw it and asked me about it and I never knew how to tell if it’s open or not because sometimes it’s open, sometimes it’s closed. Just recently, I watched an updated video by someone telling telling us that uh it’s closed now because there was a person trying to uh climb over the barrier and jump. I don’t know. It wasn’t specified what happened. The hotel features, for example, an Italian restaurant, a cafe with an outdoor terrace, and also laundry facilities. And number seven, the Park Hotel in Tokyo is like a mix. Like I got mixed reviews about this one. It’s a four-star hotel. It can’t be that. It is located close to Hamadu Garden, close to Ginsa and Hamadu Garden and you can get to Asaka very easily from there. It is maybe not the best location. It is very close to Shimbashi station which is on the Yamanote line and which brings you again to all major attractions in Tokyo. You have an amazing view of Tokyo Tower from this hotel. You wouldn’t even need to go to any of the few decks. You wouldn’t even need to go to Tokyo Tower or the Sky Tree or whatnot. You already got the few from your hotel. So, you’re saving you’re saving money here. This hotel is also known for its art themed rooms. If you have ever stayed at this hotel, let me know about what kind of room you had. So, they seem to have unique rooms and you have different dining options inside a hotel. You have a French beastro, you have a Japanese restaurant and you have a lounge for example. So, number eight. Number eight is the Ayama Grand Hotel which is like a five-star boutique luxury hotel and it’s in the Aoyama district which is very close to Shibuya. Here you have a lot of dining options and shopping options. It’s a little bit upscale because it’s close to Shibuya. Number nine on my list is the Four Seasons in Ottomachi. Ottomachi is also maybe a station you haven’t heard about. This is again a luxury hotel with a spacious rooms and amazing views for example over the Imperial Palace. So it’s in a good location as well like quite centrally located not like on this side or on this side of Tokyo but like you know the Imperial Palace is really in the center of Tokyo. So you’re close to that one. So it is a fivestar luxury hotel. So you have different things that you can explore inside the hotel. It also features several dining options obviously and also a spa. And yeah, all in all, it’s a Four Seasons. You can’t do much wrong with that, right? Can you? I don’t know. Number 10 on my list is the Balberry Hotel in Tokyo. I don’t know if I pronounced that right. I have heard good things about it. It’s an ultra luxury hotel. Google is giving me the that description. Ultra luxury hotel. It has to be good, right? This hotel is located on the 40th floor of the Yasu building close to Tokyo station. Actually, I noticed that. I didn’t know that, but many hotels are located on the so and so floor of uh some kind of building. So, sometimes sometimes also the park hotel I mentioned earlier is located on the 25th floor of some building. Sometimes it can be really tricky only to find your hotel. The Balgary Hotel in Tokyo, I hope I pronounced this right. It has again panoramic views over Tokyo. If you’re staying at a good hotel in Tokyo, try to look out for one that has the panoramic views because I think that’s an amazing experience in itself and worth the money. You got a little bit of Italian design. Um, you got high-end dining options at that hotel and just also really good service. So, all in all, should be a great place to stay at. That is my list of recommendations and also a list of areas that many people stay in. Again, it’s not a complete list. It’s a start for first-time visitors. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments. If you have the feeling I missed anything, leave that in the comments as well. If you want to find budget accommodation in Tokyo, that, as I already mentioned, can be very difficult. My number one tip would be to book in advance as early as possible because then you have more options to choose from. Number two, again try to avoid the areas I mentioned in this video. Try to find like areas that are not so centrally located. If you have a train station close by, you are fine and you can get easily from A to B. Um then areas like Bueno are cheaper and Iukuro Haka maybe. Avoid Shinduku, Shibuya, Roongi and Ginsa if you’re on a budget. And then try to look for host try to look maybe for capsule hotels. Again, not my recommendation. Caps. Um, you can look into Airbnbs. They are usually not that cheap in Tokyo, but you can still check and then at least you have your own room. And then look for budget hotels like the business hotels like APA, what I mentioned in this video. If you enjoyed this video, if you want to see more videos like this, like it and subscribe. This tells me and also tells YouTube that this video is useful for you and for others. and it tells me to make more videos. So, thank you so so much for watching until the end and I see you then in the next one. All right.

In this Tokyo hotel guide, I’m going to give you some general advice on how to find accommodation in Tokyo. I’ll list up the best and most popular areas to stay in Tokyo, including where to stay in Tokyo for first-time visitors and the best neighborhoods for sightseeing. I’ll also recommend some Tokyo hotels — from budget-friendly options to luxury hotels with great locations. At the end, I’ll share a few tips on how to find affordable hotels in Tokyo and how to choose the right place for your trip.

⭐️ Hi, my name is Tina and I’m working in Tokyo as a content creator and tour guide / trip planner.
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This video was edited by @Mochienjapon

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📷 Photos used
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00:00 Introduction
00:39 Tokyo Areas
02:01 Shinjuku
02:58 Shibuya
03:58 Roppongi
04:40 Asakusa
05:33 Ueno
06:03 Akihabara
06:48 Ginza
07:54 Local Areas
08:10 Hostels
11:08 Capsule Hotels
11:59 Business Hotels
12:27 Mid-range Hotels
13:58 4-Star & 5-Star
17:25 Finding Affordable Stays

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