4 where to stay Updated 16 September 2026

Where to stay in Tokyo

Rooms described honestly, tax included

4 places to stay in Tokyo, with the accommodation tax on top and the trade-off each one makes.

A tatami-floored guest room with low furniture at Hoshinoya TokyoIt depends

Hoshinoya Tokyo

A working ryokan built as a tower in the financial district, with a real onsen at the top fed by a bore hole 1,500 metres down.

Ryokan format Rooftop onsen Otemachi, Chiyoda
TokyoExplore

Not to be missed

Hotel Ryumeikan TokyoVirtùImperial Palace East Gardens
The reconstructed Okura lobby with its hexagonal lanterns and plum-blossom screensWorth it

The Okura Tokyo

Japan’s most argued-about hotel demolition, and the reconstructed modernist lobby that followed it. Two towers, two quite different stays.

Two towers 1962 lobby rebuilt Toranomon, Minato
TokyoExplore

Not to be missed

Hoshinoya TokyoteamLab BorderlessDen
A compact Japanese-style hotel room with tatami and low seating near Tokyo StationWorth it

Hotel Ryumeikan Tokyo

Not the most beautiful hotel in Tokyo, but the one whose address does the most work: luggage, Shinkansen and Narita all within a few minutes.

3 min to Tokyo Station Japanese-style rooms Yaesu, Chuo
TokyoExplore

Not to be missed

Hoshinoya TokyoRokurinshaImperial Palace East Gardens
A smart pod with a reclining bed and projector screen at The Millennials ShibuyaIt depends

The Millennials Shibuya

The capsule hotel reinvented as a design object: a powered bed that turns into a sofa, a ceiling projector, and Shibuya Crossing three minutes away.

Smart pods Shibuya Co-working space
TokyoExplore

Not to be missed

ShibuyaShibuya SkyHotel Ryumeikan Tokyo

The rest of Tokyo

Every other collection in the city guide, with what is in it.

Sights 6 Museums 3 Districts 4 Restaurants 6 Bars 3 What to eat 4 Things to do 3 Walks 2 Events 2