Tokyo can get expensive, very expensive, especially for accommodation, but if you do your research and plan ahead you don’t have to go broke booking a hotel. If you’re anything like me – traveling on a budget but well beyond hostels with shared rooms/toilet, then the following might help. All options include a room equipped with everything you need (toilet, shower, TV, etc. most with internet) and are around 85US$, which is terrific for one of the most expensive cities in Asia. I’d recommend first deciding which area of Tokyo you want to stay in.
Relatively cheap accommodation options
~2 or 3 stars hotels, under 8000yen for a double …
- Hotel Sunroute Takadanobaba – Shinjuku – ~7200yen (3 stars)
- Sakura Hotel Hatagaya – Shinjuku – ~7800yen
- Hotel Monterey Hanzomon – Imperial Palace – ~7800yen
- Weekly Mansion Nippori P1 – Ueno / Asakusa / Akihabara – ~6200yen
- Weekly Mansion Kameido – Ueno / Asakusa / Akihabara – ~6100yen
- Sakura Ikebukuro Hotel – Ikebukuro – ~7600yen
- Hotel Yanagibasi – Ueno / Asakusa / Akihabara – ~6800yen
- Oak Hotel – Ueno / Asakusa / Akihabara – ~6900yen
- Hotel Wing International Kourakuen – Imperial palace area – ~7200yen
- Amista Asagaya Hotel – Shinjuku – ~6200yen
Tokyo Cheap Hotel Chains
Toyoko Inn and Super Hotels are highly reliable and affordable hotel chains where you can find a good hotel option next to your favorite area. When browsing that list, make sure the hotels you’re looking at are actually in Tokyo (Kanto province, Greater Tokyo region). Please note that reservation for Toyoko Inn is free and doesn’t require paying in advance.
Toyoko Inn
More central and closer to the action
- Shinjuku Kabuki-cho – 7140yen for a single.
- Ikebukuro Kita-guchi No.1 – 7140yen for a single.
- Ikebukuro Kita-guchi No.2 – 7000yen for a single.
- Asakusa-bashi Kosaten – 7140yen for a single.
A more homely quiet option, next to the important JR line are :
- Otsuka-eki Kita-guchi No.1 – 7140yen for a single.
- Otsuka-eki Kita-guchi No.2 – 7140yen for a single.
If you don’t smoke, make sure you book a non-smoking room. If you’re not a single, be sure to book a double.
Super Hotel
- Super Hotel City Ikebukuro Kitaguchi – A:6280 yen / B:6720 yen
- Super Hotel JR Ikebukuro Nishiguchi – 7980 yen
- Super Hotel JR Ueno-iriyaguchi – 7480 yen
Further tips
Please note that :
- Location is important. Make sure you’re close to a JR metro line.
- Most of the budget hotels offer discounts off-season. On season many hotels would be booked well in advance. A reservation is better, and the internet deals are usually better than what you get on spot.
- Most of the budget hotels offer a free/discounted night after 3-5 nights stay.
- Most of the budget hotels include breakfast, but quality varies. Check that in advance if you care about what you get.
Hope this helps, feedback is appreciated. If you know of any other good reliable options in Tokyo, let me know.
thanks for giving us mini hotel guide. Still expensive why can't they sell there room for 500NT/night (the price in Taidong Taiwan).
nstienhardt – I take it you’re not convinced… ?
There’s such a thing as cheap accomodation in Tokyo!?
We normally plan a trip at least a couple months out so once the flight is booked and the hotel reserved we have a good chunk of our spending plan figured out (travel and lodging). Then we add in events (concerts, shows, museums) that we expect to take in along with adding in a few extra nice dining events. Then we budget a $100 for each of us per day for shopping and regular dining, cocktails, etc. Add it all up and that is our travel spending plan, divide by number of pay checks between now and travel and adjust… Read more »
Cheap affordable budget stays!