Onsen Ryokan Yuen Shinjuku in Tokyo

I really wanted to love this hotel, but it fell flat in several ways.

What I didn’t like:

The twin room is tiny—shockingly small—and there’s no tub, which is odd given the “onsen” branding.

The onsen itself isn’t worth the hype. It’s very small and almost always crowded, so it doesn’t feel relaxing at all.

The hotel uses central air per floor, meaning your room temperature depends on what other guests want. You can end up freezing at 2 a.m. with zero control.

Location isn’t great. It’s farther from the train stations than advertised, and you feel it after long days exploring.

They gave me a hard time about letting my friend come up to my room just to drop off her bags while we went on a side trip.

Small gripe, but the toilet was disappointing for Tokyo—cold seat, no automatic features. My hotel in China had a fully automated heated seat that opened when you walked in, so this felt like a downgrade.


What was good:

7-Eleven is right outside the door, super convenient.

Cute coffee shop about a block away.

Staff were friendly and tried to be helpful.


Overall:
Not a great stay. I wish I had booked somewhere with better room comfort, easier transportation access, and more nightlife around. I wouldn’t choose this property again.