During my search for a hotel in Tokyo, I kept coming across offers from the Japanese chain APA on booking.com.

It has hotels everywhere in Tokyo (but also in other Japanese cities). Literally. In some neighborhoods, there are APA hotels at every other intersection. I later find out that with over 300 hotels, APA is the largest hotel chain in all of Japan.

The prices are very good and overall this chain struck me as a solid cheap option if I want basic comfort and privacy, but also don't want to pay for expensive international chains.

I decided to give the APA hotel a try for 2 nights.

More reviews from this trip:

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• ✈️ Lufthansa First Class: a review of the old first class in the Boeing 747-8 (FRA-HND)
• 🏨 Tomariya Ueno Capsule Hotel: an honest review of your stay
• 🏨 Hotel Indigo Shibuya: a review of a premium hotel overlooking Shibuya Junction
• 🏨 Ibis Styles Kyoto Shijo: a review of a very cheap Accor hotel in central Kyoto

Hotel price and booking

I booked the APA Hotel mainly to try something new, and I also don't want to spend too much money on expensive hotels when traveling solo for work.

I pay for a 1-bed room for 2 nights with breakfast and free cancellation 42 000 jpy.

For a hotel in central Tokyo, that's a very good price, especially considering the fact that I'm booking relatively last minute - about 14 days before my trip.

I booked the stay as standard through booking.com.

• 👉 F ind out the prices of the cheapest hotels in Tokyo

Location and check-in

I choose APA Hotel Ginza Shintomicho Ekimae Kita in a very quiet part of central Tokyo about 10 minutes walk from the bustling and upscale Ginza shopping district.

There are also subway stations nearby:

• Hatchobori (approx. 400 metres) - Hibiya Line
• Shintomicho (approx. 450 metres) - Yurakucho Line
• Takaracho (approx. 450 metres) - Asakusa Line

I arrive at the hotel as early as 9:00 am, check in at the front desk and leave my luggage in the luggage room for free until check-in time, which is 3:00 pm.

For the luggage storage, I have to scan the QR code, fill in my name and surname and show the QR code again at the reception when I pick it up.

I head out into the swirl of the big city, specifically the Imperial Palace Gardens and then the Tsukiji Fish Market.

I return in the afternoon and go to my room for a short rest.

A single room - small, but with everything you need

Hotel rooms in Japan are always small and this one is no exception.

At first glance, though, it looks clean and quite cozy.

The bed is quite wide and comfortable with a large TV that automatically displays handy hotel information when you insert your card into the energy saver.

There is also a work desk in the room and other useful things on it:

• Refrigerator
• Electric kettle
• Two paper cups
• Instant coffee and coffee cream
• Free 0.5 litre water
• Many sockets (Japanese type A only, there are no USB connectors)

I can also use free slippers, pajamas.

However, you will find the socket including the USB connector right next to the bed.

The bathroom is very small and typically Japanese. Unified core with bathtub, sink. The space is really small in the bathroom, but like the room it is exemplarily clean and without any visible flaws.

You can use a free razor for shaving (but no shaving cream) or a toothbrush.

The main shortcoming of the room is the lack of storage space for clothes. There's actually only a coat or jacket rack, but you can't really unpack and store your suitcase of clothes in the closet - there's nowhere to put it.

But compared to the capsule hotel I stayed in the night before, there's still more than enough space.

Breakfast in the restaurant outside the hotel

I booked a room with breakfast, and I already get paper coupons for each day at check-in.

This hotel does not have its own restaurant and uses Pizzeria Lucia located in another nearby APA hotel.

That one is only about a 2 minute walk away, so it's almost no hindrance.

The breakfast room is very small and especially between 8:00 and 9:00am you may even have to wait a while (usually up to 5 minutes) for a seat to open up.

Breakfast is pretty basic and mostly Japanese.

Of the hot dishes, fish, scrambled eggs and sausages or bacon are usually available.

Miso soup and rice cooker are not to be missed.

Cold cuisine is represented by various salads, vegetables, pickled sweet fruits and more.

There are few pastries - only 3 types and I didn't like any of them at all.

Coffee is available from a vending machine. I have drunk worse, but it is no miracle.

To drink, you have a choice of water or two kinds of extremely sweet juices.

Services at the hotel

APA is more of a budget chain and the service is limited to match.

You can do your own laundry in the washing machine downstairs at the reception (the cost is 300 jpy, but you can only pay with coins 100 jpy).

There's also a chilled drinks machine at reception (cash only), but you're more likely to use the Lawson mini-market directly opposite the hotel, which is open 24/7 and can also be paid by card.

A microwave is available for free.

Express check-out

Check-out is wonderfully efficient and takes literally less than 5 seconds.

Just insert your room card in the special box on the ground floor to the right of the lift.

You don't need to visit the reception at all during check-out.

Conclusion - was I satisfied with the APA hotel?

In summary, the APA hotel is the perfect choice for the unpretentious traveler looking for a clean room with a private bathroom and a basic breakfast.

Mainly due to the lack of storage space, the hotel is suitable for a maximum stay of 3 nights.

The advantage is that you are assured of a wide hotel network throughout Japan and always know what to expect. In fact, all APA hotels are unified and look practically the same.

My tips for other hotels in the city centre

I wanted to stay in central Tokyo near the Ginza district and spent a lot of time looking for a suitable hotel.

Here are my other tips for hotels in the Ginza area and central Tokyo.

Cheap standard hotels

If you prefer a standard room with a private bathroom, but also a reasonable price, I still considered these hotels:

• KOKO HOTEL Ginza-1chome *** - a very cheap modern hotel just a few minutes walk from the Ginza shopping district.
• Keio Presso Inn Tokyo Station Yaesu *** - the cheapest hotel directly across from Tokyo Central Station

Quality and luxury hotels

Downtown Tokyo and Ginza are among the most luxurious shopping districts in the world, so if you are looking for a hotel in this category, I would recommend these hotels:

• Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo ***** - a great rated large hotel a minute's walk from the major shopping malls
• The Tokyo EDITION ***** - one of the most luxurious and well-known hotels in all of Tokyo