Shinjuku / Kabukicho

Hotel Gracery Shinjuku

★★★★★

Few hotels in the world have a better calling card than a full-sized Godzilla peering over the rooftop. Hotel Gracery Shinjuku occupies the upper floors of the Shinjuku Toho Building in Kabukicho, and the head of the famous monster — the creation of the Toho film studio — looms over the street from the hotel's 8th-floor terrace, roaring and glowing at set times each day. For guests it is a surprisingly practical choice as well as a novelty. The hotel's 970 or so rooms are compact, clean and efficiently designed, in the style of Japan's best business hotels, with comfortable beds of the hotel's own design, well-thought-out bathrooms and good soundproofing, at prices that are reasonable for central Tokyo. The 8th-floor lobby connects to the Gracery Lounge, a quiet space for work or rest, and to the terrace where guests can get up close to Godzilla. Fans can book themed rooms: Godzilla View rooms look straight out at the monster from the window; the Godzilla Room features a giant claw reaching into the room and immersive themed decor; and the Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah room, opened for the hotel's tenth anniversary, recreates a film set. Guests in themed rooms receive exclusive goods. Reception is staffed around the clock, check-in is from mid-afternoon, and the hotel is three minutes from Seibu-Shinjuku Station and five from the JR station's east side.

The location is the main reason to stay. Kabukicho is Shinjuku's entertainment district, and the hotel puts you in the middle of the action: Golden Gai's tiny bars and the yakitori alleys of Omoide Yokocho are a short walk, as are dozens of ramen shops, izakaya and karaoke boxes, and the department stores and transport hub of Shinjuku Station are five minutes away. From Shinjuku you can reach almost anywhere — the Yamanote Line to Shibuya and Harajuku, the Chuo Line to the Ghibli Museum, and the express trains and buses to Hakone and Mount Fuji. For a first visit focused on the west side, it is hard to beat.

Some caveats. Kabukicho is lively and heavily neon-lit, with touts on certain streets late at night; the area is generally safe and well policed, but it is not a quiet neighborhood, and families with young children might prefer a calmer base. Standard rooms are small, and luggage space is limited for long trips, so book a larger category if you are traveling with big suitcases. The hotel itself is calm and orderly, and rooms are well soundproofed against the street.

It suits budget-conscious first-timers, nightlife lovers, film and pop-culture fans, and anyone who wants their Tokyo trip to begin with a photograph of Godzilla over their shoulder. Book a Godzilla View room for the full experience, and well ahead for spring and autumn. The Toho cinema complex in the same building screens the latest films, and the surrounding streets offer late-night ramen within a few steps of the lobby, which is a real advantage when jet lag strikes at midnight.