I stayed at the Sunshine City Prince Hotel in Tokyo for 3 nights during my 7-day Japan trip. I went there last February 2012. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars by my standards when it comes to staying at a 3-star and up hotel for the spacious room, amenities and location.
My Room and Amenities - Room 1921
- My room was a 30 square-meter Double Room (Type B if I’m not mistaken on the City Floors, it’s a corner room). A very big space like this for a normal room in Japan and all over the world is considered a luxury.
- I stayed Solo but this super big double bed can probably fit three “me”s.
- I loved wearing the “Kimono” bathrobe (very nice fabric, the band is comfortable and not too thick around the waist). I wanted to take it home but they don’t sell it.
- I loved eating oden at midnight (bought from the 24/7 Family Mart downstairs) by the chairs in my room while watching TV. Most of the channels are in Japanese.
- I wasn’t able to use these but there was a medium-sized safety box, a self-adjusted alarm clock, hotel slippers, a small fridge (with free drinks for me, ask if you too to be sure) and an FM radio by the bed.
- I love the hallway where I can leave my dirty shoes away from the bed without tripping on them (also enough space for the shopping bags and winter coats).
- You can control the temperature in the room although I couldn’t figure it out until later. It’s nice to be warm after a day out on a cold February in Tokyo.
Toilet & Sink
- Japan is known for heated toilets and it is available at Sunshine City Prince Hotel as well as a hot & cold shower. The toilet seat comes with a built-in bidet and side buttons. The shower doubles as a bathtub.
- I loved that they separated the sink from the toilet and the bath area. They also included a big mirror, a hair dryer, a big space for toiletries and a comfortable chair. You can actually brush your teeth while sitting (it’s better because it is a low sink).
Internet Access & Outlets
- You have to stay at the lobby for a free WIFI access if you are a guest. There are pay-per-use computers there with a charge of 100 yen per 10 minutes.
- They have electrical outlets in the room and they use the same 2-pin outlets in the US.
Location, Public Transport
- Airport transfers – Limousine Bus with pay
- It takes around 60 to 70 minutes to get to this hotel from the Haneda airport. You will pay 1200 Yen (per Adult) or 600 Yen (per Child) to get there via the Limousine Bus.
- It takes around 90 to 120 minutes to get to this hotel from the Narita airport. You will pay 3000 Yen (per Adult) or 1500 Yen (per Child) to get there via the Limousine Bus.
- The hotel is 15-20 minutes away from Ikebukuro Station (East Exit). Please note that Tokyo has different trains, JR is one of them.
- Your taxi has to go around the big mall complex (adjacent to the hotel) because of one-way restrictions.
- The manager told us that there are only 4 major shopping centers in the Ikebukuro area and one of them happens to be ALPA Shopping Mall which is directly connected to the mall. Expect heavy traffic on weekends.
Special Features of this Hotel
- The hotel is adjacent to a mall and is actually part of a whole complex with a theater, a museum, a convention center, a planetarium, an aquarium and an indoor amusement park!
- Hotel guests have discounts or can get into Namjatown (part of the amusement park where you can find famous gyoza) for free.
- There is a 24-hour Family Mart at the lobby of this hotel.
Don’t miss the oden and the triangle rice.
- There are vendo machines on your floor that Japan is known for. Calpis, please!
- There are non-smoking and ladies-only floors. They also have Japanese-style rooms.
- They have a Greener Cleaning Service, which gives you a 500 Yen coupon back per day that you choose not to have them clean your room! You can use this in Family Mart and their restaurants. You will need to fill up a form before 9 a.m. and submit to the Front Desk and this is for a 2-night stay and up.
Hotel Details:
Sunshine City Prince Hotel
Rated as 3-star in Agoda and Expedia, 38 floors
3-1-5 Higashi-ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-8440 Japan
03-3988-1111
- Check-in 2:00 p.m.
- Check-out 11:00 a.m.
- Price: I checked Agoda. The discounted room rates for this hotel are at the $130 - $160 range per night per room although only the standard single and semi-double room types are available. Check the official Sunshine City Prince Hotel website for the range of my room and the upper floors.
Here’s a view from the window of my room at 11 p.m. Japan time.
