Please note that all of my recommendations for accommodation are based on my own personal taste and experience as a customer/guest.
If you’re looking for areas that I recommend for families with small children, please see my Where to stay as a family in Tokyo post.
PLEASE NOTE THAT MOST HOTELS ONLY OPEN UP THEIR BOOKING SYSTEMS 6 MONTHS AHEAD OF TIME.
If you look earlier than 6 months it may look like a hotel is completely booked – but it is because they haven’t yet opened these dates. The Official Tokyo Disney Resort Hotels don’t open up bookings until 3-4 months ahead of time. If you are able to find rooms earlier than 6 months in time they can often be more expensive as the sites are assuming they will be able to get the rooms once the dates are officially open (so compare current and future prices to be sure.)
Shinjuku isn’t my first choice when staying in Tokyo with kids but that doesn’t mean it’s a mistake to stay there.
Some people are concerned after they book accommodation and then see that this is the area that houses the red light district in Tokyo but I wrote this post Why you needn’t panic if you’ve booked accommodation in Shinjuku to help you ease your mind.
PLEASE NOTE: This article contains some affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
For things to do and where to eat with kids in this area, see my Shinjuku with Kids post.
For dinner/ date night options, see my Shinjuku Date Nights suggestions.
I really like Onsen Shinjuku Ryokan Yuen which is kind of a business hotel and ryokan hybrid. This is my number one choice for families in Shinjuku.
Rooms here are small, modern, clean. Has a public bath for guests to use. I’ve written in detail and have more pictures on Onsen Shinjuku Ryokan Yuen here
And Hotel Gracery Shinjuku – especially if you are able to nab a Godzilla themed room.
This is area is a bit seedy. Not dangerous but there are a lot of people trying to sell you questionable services on the streets around here and also your kids will see some interesting girl bar posters etc. This hotel has pjs for guests to use while staying too.
There is a breakfast restaurant called “Sakura” within the hotel and there is a 7-Eleven right near the ground floor entrance. The triple rooms here are a little small with not much room to do more than sleep soI don’t recommend it for active little children. It is in the red-light district of Shinjuku called Kabuki-cho and, while that isn’t dangerous for you, the bright lights outside of your hotel room window will make you want to shut your curtains tight. (Alternatively, you might want to pack black out blinds as I recommend in my What to Pack for Japan with kids blog post here.
The Knot
One hotel that is certainly NOT on the sleazier side of Shinjuku but a bit more out of the way in Nishi-Shinjuku (West-Shinjuku) is The Knot. I have stayed there and I have lots of lovely things to say. I don’t love the location but this place is always full of happy international travellers so they make it work with lots of transport options and suggestions.
I recommend this hotel to people who are watching their budget ( this place is very reasonably priced for central Tokyo) and will really only be at the hotel in the morning and the evenings.
Reasons to stay here:
– Shinjuku Chuo Park is literally across the road.
This is the lobby at The Knot
The lobby is so cool and inviting and the staff are so friendly. It’s like a big comfy lounge room. Would be a wonderful place for families to convene if they are all staying in separate rooms.
– This hotel is truly international. It is modern in looks and approach. They are more than well adjusted to assisting people who are in Japan as tourists.
– The bakery downstairs is amazing
– There is a Family Mart just 3 minutes walk away
– When getting to and from the airport, you can take the limousine bus from the Hilton or Hyatts in Nishishinjuku and then a short taxi ride to The Knot.
Some downsides of staying here:
– The rooms are small and basic (although the prices are low which makes it a pretty good deal)
The room had everything I needed. Even a small fridge and a safe.
– The buffet breakfast isn’t great. If you are happy to have a few little options or just cereal, jam and toast and some eggs, you’ll be fine. If you prefer a more substantial breakfast? I would opt for not having breakfast included and buying breakfast at the bakery in the lobby ( the toasted cheese sandwiches are soooo good.)
– On a beautiful day, it is possible to eat breakfast in the front courtyard, which is really pretty.
– You will need to take a subway ( not JR ) to get there. You will need to make your way to Tochomae Station and then exit A5 ( or A4 if you require an elevator) and then walk for 3 minutes. To walk to JR Shinjuku, it takes approximately 25 minutes and I found this to just all feel quite inconvenient ( once again, I feel that this is why this hotel is so much cheaper than other competing hotels.) Many people with small children just decide to take a taxi to Shinjuku proper everyday (500 yen each direction) and factor it into their budget.
Once you get out of the subway at A4 exit the easiest way to get across to the park to get to the hotel is via this ramp (which is really convenient with a suitcase.)
– Because The Knot is simple and built for those on the budget, they do not assist with extras such as baggage couriers but they were helpful with booking an airport limousine bus from two of the major hotels in the area.
Hilton Tokyo
I stayed at the Hilton when we came to Japan to choose our house.
To be honest though, I don’t recommend it for families as it was quite far away from the centre of Shinjuku and lacked child-friendly options and restaurants in the immediate area. The service and food was great so the fact that I don’t recommend this hotel is nothing to do with the facilities or the customer experience.
This hotel does offer interconnecting rooms. See here for many other hotels that also have interconnecting rooms in Japan.
The buffet breakfast here did blow my mind though and I actually returned once to eat there as a non-staying guest.
The Hilton Shinjuku also are very good at catering to guests who are Gluten Free – great gluten free bread, and they can make fried rice upon request at breakfast time. The room service menu can almost all be made gluten free upon request and fries and hamburgers can be prepared and cooked separately to other dishes.
If you’d like to be right in the heart of Shinjuku, I would stay at Keio Plaza. It’s a standard hotel and they look after tourists and groups of tourists everyday. There will be lots of tour groups here but it is a very big hotel.
This hotel also has a free shuttle to Tokyo Disney Resort. Keio Plaza has a swimming pool open for use during July & August only. The cost for guests is 3000 yen per adult and 1,500 yen per child. (Japan has some pretty wild and frustrating rules with it comes to hotel pools. I speak more about it here.) There is also an in-house coin laundry. Keio Plaza is able to supply families with a cot or crib for babies younger than 10 months of age. Keio Plaza in Shinjuku have connecting rooms for their standard twin room type and plaza luxe twin rooms.
*A little note on coin laundries in hotels in Japan. The detergent is almost always built into the machine. If someone in your family has allergies to certain washing powders it is probably best to email in advance to find out what they use and what your options are. Oh.. and another note.. if the washer and dryer is built into one machine – the dryer setting really only works well for 1-2 items (big items like a pair of jeans and a long sleeved top, I mean) so don’t do what I do and just put in heaps of things to dry for longer – hoping that they will dry. It doesn’t work like that. Best to do little tiny drying sessions for the best drying results. It a lesson in patience but it will save you lots of coins in the long run
On social media you may have seen something about the Sky Plaza Ibasho in Shinjuku with a play area for kids – it is often “sold” as a place where you can have all you can drink Starbucks. But I must stress that the “Starbucks” is a coffee machine that uses Starbucks coffee. The play area is nice for little babies or toddlers if they need some space to play – but I don’t think I would call it a “must visit” as part of a tourist’s holiday itinerary or anything. Sky Plaza Ibasho is located inside of the Keio Plaza Hotel in Nishi-Shinjuku. I also don’t think it is worth paying 2000 yen to visit – unless you’re really struggling for a place to lay baby down for a minute.
SKY PLAZA IBASHO
INSIDE KEIO PLAZA HOTEL, SHINJUKU
ENTRY 2000 YEN ON WEEKDAYS OR 2500 YEN ON WEEKENDS
The Nishi-Shinjuku area (near The Knot and the Hilton and Keio Plaza) has lots of little spots to grab a light lunch or breakfast (or a coffee) such as chain stores like Starbucks, Doutor and Pronto. There is also a Big Echo Karaoke just 2 mins walk from the Keio Plaza Hotel. There are also, of course, many many convenience stores in this area.
See my Shinjuku with kids blog post for family-friendly places to eat lunch or dinner in the Nishi-Shinjuku area.
PLEASE NOTE: This article contains some affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
