Keikyu EX Hotel Shinagawa

Keikyu EX Inn Shinagawa Ekimae is located in a corporate tower with a T.G.I. Fridays on the ground floor. The lobby at the hotel is bright and spacious, if unmemorable and airport-like, with low leather seating in shades of brown and gray, wood-laminate and beige tile floors, and a front desk topped with potted flowers and lined with low benches where staff members provide customer service. A Guest Service Center desk provides tourist information and free sewing kits. Kiosks are also available for checkin in and checking and there's a row of computers where guests can access the internet (for a fee). Hallways look a bit tired, with dated wallpaper (white and striped) and carpeting (blue and swirled), and overall the impression throughout the hotel is a bit impersonal. While business and solo travelers make up the lion's share of guests, families and couples also pass through, though less expensive options are available in central Tokyo.

The hotel sits inside of a mid-rise building with restaurants, shops, and conference spaces throughout. The Shinagawa District is a bit outside of what most travelers consider central Tokyo and this business district is home to companies like Sony. There are restaurants, cafes, and shops in the area, including several famous ramen shops lining the street just outside of Shinagawa Station (Shinatatsu Ramen Street). The train station is only five minutes from the hotel on foot, and offers lines on Tokyo's subway system as well as long distance bullet trains (including the popular train to Kyoto). It's also less than 10 minutes' walk to Shinagawa Prince Hotel, a massive complex which has a movie theater and bowling alley plus EPSON Aqua Park, a popular aquarium. Haneda Airport is around 20 minutes away by car or public transportation, while Narita International Airport takes 90 minutes to reach by train (a 60-minute cab ride). 

Rooms at Keikyu EX Inn Shinagawa Ekimae are spacious, which is something of a rarity for Tokyo. There is a fairly substantial difference in the room quality depending on which category is booked, though, and Executive Rooms are the more modern option. Still on the plain side, but bright and cheerful, these rooms have light wood veneer furniture with contemporary silhouettes, tan carpets, and vibrant abstract wall art. Standard Rooms are dated, with drab curtains and clunky chairs that aren’t a far cry from what one would expect to find in a hospital waiting room (still, the fact that there is space for chairs and tables alone is something of a feat in Tokyo). All rooms have mini-fridges, electric kettles, flat-screen TVs, safes, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms are clean, but dated as well, with wall-mounted sinks and shower/tub combos. Generous amenity kits including toothbrushes, razors, and hair brushes are provided as well as slippers and pajamas. The rooms we visited all had impressive city views, and Executive Rooms are furnished with trouser presses. 

The hotel offers a Japanese-Western breakfast buffet including grilled fish, eggs, and sausage, though it's not included in room rates. There are a few restaurants within the Shinagawa Goos building, including a T.G.I. Fridays, but none are affiliated directly with the hotel. Even-numbered floors, between the sixth and 23rd floors, have guest laundry rooms with washers and dryers and ironing facilities, as well as microwaves and vending machines selling beer and soft drinks.  The hotel has a limited number of computers guests can borrow for a fee, and coin-operated lockers are available 24 hours a day for storing luggage. An underground parking facility is located in the building, though parking is not free.