Citadines Central Shinjuku Tokyo

Citadines Central Shinjuku Tokyo is a comfortable, mid-range property that's popular with tourists, particularly North Americans. Entering the hotel feels like going into a shopping mall, with an open-air escalator that leads to the lobby, a simple yet contemporary space with cream-colored sofas, marble floors, and soft lantern lighting. Plants in bright-red pots add a little character to the otherwise professional-feeling space. One bank of elevators leads down to ground level and another bank goes up to rooms. Despite being in the heart of the Shinjuku action, the vibe here is quiet, as there are limited on-site amenities and most guests leave the hotel for the day after breakfast. The hotel is often confused with sister property Citadines Shinjuku Tokyo, which offers serviced apartments with kitchenettes and is located just a short walk away. 

This hotel is located right in Shinjuku, a 10-minute walk from bustling Shinjuku Station. The area is busy, with lots of shops and restaurants that draw locals and visitors alike during the daytime, and a number of convenience stores within a couple of blocks. The famous Golden Gai nightlife area is also just behind the hotel, which keeps things lively into the night as well. It's easy to get around town from here, with lots of direct service to area attractions. Ueno Park -- with attractions such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, the National Museum of Nature and Science, and the Le Corbusier-designed National Museum of Western Art -- is around 35 to 40 minutes from here via public transit. Tokyo Tower is half an hour away. It's around 45 minutes to Haneda Airport on the Haneda Airport Limousine Bus (27 minutes by car), while Narita International Airport can take an hour and a half to two hours to get to on public transportation (around 75 minutes by taxi).

While rooms here are advertised as apartments on the hotel's website, it's a bit misleading, as none of them have kitchenettes. Most come in studio configurations and measure 17.5 to 27 square meters (188 to 261 square feet), and there is a single 414-square-foot (38.5-square-meter) One-Bedroom Executive Twin that has a separate living room and bedroom. All units have simple, contemporary decor in neutral hues with pops of either red or black, and come with wall-to-wall carpeting and seating areas with divan-style couches and wide work desks. The vast majority of guests find the Simmons mattresses comfortable, and rooms have excellent lighting, with spot lighting and clever under-nightstand switches plus dimmers on some of the lights. Some of the furniture shows slight wear, and during our visit we saw a few nicks here and there, but overall rooms are well-maintained, clean, and modern. Standard amenities include flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, safes, and electric kettles with free coffee and tea. Bottled water and Wi-Fi are also provided free of charge, and all rooms have individually controlled air-conditioning and heating. Some rooms have views of the busy street below, but windows are double-glazed and do a great job of blocking out noise. Bathrooms are sleek and spacious, but the fans don't do the best job of de-steaming the spaces and windows in the guest rooms don't open for ventilation. Bathrooms come with basin sinks, shower/tub combos (separate showers and soaking tubs in higher categories), and bidet toilets, plus ample amenities, including full-size toiletries, hairdryers, and extras like toothbrushes and razors. Yukata robes and slippers are also provided.   

The hotel offers limited amenities. Breakfast and lunch with Japanese and Western fare are served buffet-style at the on-site Restaurant Stella for a fee, but there's no room service or dinner. There are vending machines and coin-operated washing machines and dryers for guest use. Basics can be purchased at the on-site convenience store, and there's a foreign currency exchange machine for those wanting to exchange U.S. dollars to Japanese yen. The hotel lacks a parking lot, but the front desk staff can advise on where to park nearby. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel and there's a free-to-use guest computer in the lobby for printing. Faxing and courier services can be arranged through the front desk.