Tokyo · Nishi-Shinjuku | Airport transfers and many room types
Shinjuku Washington Hotel
Shinjuku Washington Hotel
Save the effort of dragging luggage, then pick a room you can really fit into.
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
I look at airport transfers first, then room size
- JR Shinjuku Station South Exit: about an 8-minute walk officially; the underground passage has opening hours.
- Choose the Main Building and ANNEX separately; the space gap from basic rooms to large rooms is very big.
- The airport bus and in-hotel everyday facilities are practical, but you need to accept a large hotel’s crowds.
If the last thing you want on this Tokyo trip is dragging a large case between exits at Shinjuku Station, I would seriously compare the Shinjuku Washington Hotel Main Building. There is an airport limousine bus in front of the main entrance, and dining, a convenience store, and laundry support inside the hotel — very practical for people traveling with luggage.
But its convenience is not “one minute from getting off to your room.” You still walk from Shinjuku Station, the hotel is large, and room sizes differ markedly. I would sort out flights and transfers first, then choose building, non-smoking, and bed type — rather than booking just because the name says Shinjuku.
What I most want to remind friends traveling as a pair: a room sleeping two people, and two large suitcases opening comfortably, are two different things. Especially over several nights, size and tidying flow matter more than the decor you notice at first glance.
How to get there? The airport bus and the underground passage are the key points
The Shinjuku Washington Hotel Main Building is at 3-2-9 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, with the front desk on the 3rd floor. Officially, JR Shinjuku Station South Exit is about an 8-minute walk, and Toei Oedo Line Tochomae Station about 5 minutes. I would treat it as a Nishi-Shinjuku base, not a station-front hotel you reach the moment you step off a JR platform.
You can reach the hotel from Shinjuku Station via an underground passage, officially open 6:00–22:45. It is very practical for staying dry in the rain, but you still need to find the right direction the first time; guests describe the walk as about 10–15 minutes, and dragging cases, reading signs, and moving inside the station all add time. On your first arrival, I would leave extra buffer and not treat the official walking minutes as the total time from stepping off the train to your room door.
Large luggage: compare direct buses first, then choose a walking route
In front of the hotel’s main entrance there is a limousine bus to and from Narita and Haneda airports. For two people each with a large case, or people traveling with older guests, one less transfer and one less case move often matters more than a few extra minutes’ walk from the station. But the timetable must match your flight, and full buses, traffic, and weather also affect plans; don’t assume a bus runs at any arrival time just because there is a bus stop.
The shortest walking route does not mean elevators all the way. If you push a stroller or wheelchair, or find stairs difficult, I would confirm the barrier-free route available that day with the station and the hotel before departure, then decide between underground and street level; don’t treat the roughly 8 minutes from Shinjuku Station South Exit as the time an elevator route takes.
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
How to choose a room? Don’t mix up the Main Building, small doubles, and triples
This article is about the Main Building. ANNEX is in the same address area, but its room types, front desk, and flow differ — don’t take ANNEX photos or sense of space as the Main Building’s. Before booking, I would check the building first, then non-smoking or smoking, and renovation labels, and only then compare bed types.
| Main Building room category | Official size / bed width | How I would choose |
|---|---|---|
| Single room | 13㎡ / 140 cm bed | One person packing light, mostly out during the day |
| Double room series | 13–20.1㎡ / 140–160 cm beds | For two people, look at size first, not just the double-bed name |
| Twin room series | 16.5–19.5㎡ / two 110 cm beds | Friends, or two people who want separate beds |
| Triple room series | 24.2–26.7㎡ / three 110 cm beds | Three adults who each want a bed |
| Family room | 32㎡ / one 140 cm bed and two 100 cm beds | Traveling with family, wanting more shared activity space |
| Sky Residence | 96㎡ / six 120 cm beds, four of them bunk beds | Groups of 4–6, needing to confirm bunk-bed acceptance |
A 13-square-metre double and a 20-square-metre double can both sleep two people, but the slack for sorting luggage differs. If two people each have a large case, I would put a larger double or a twin room first; after buying a lot, the hassle of opening cases in turn every day is more obvious than it looks in photos.
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
For three traveling together, don’t rush to judge from an image of a double room plus an extra bed. The official triple room has three 110 cm wide beds, very attractive for friend trips; but three beds also use floor space. In reviews of the same triple room, some people felt three cases fit fine, others felt it was very small — I would go back to comparing actual size, luggage dimensions, and flow, rather than picking one review as the answer.
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com guest photos
Bathrooms and renovation versions also depend on your chosen room type
The photos show a unit bathroom with a bathtub. If you need a shower space that is easier to step into, a larger bathroom, or you value barrier-free facilities, I would write your specific needs down and confirm them with the hotel. Other guests suggest choosing a newly renovated room, but a renovation label does not mean every room got bigger; non-smoking and renovation must also be checked separately — don’t overlook the plan name because of one new photo.
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
A large hotel’s convenience, considered together with peak-hour waits
A convenience store, in-hotel dining, luggage storage, and laundry facilities are very practical support here. Officially, the Main Building has a guest laundry room on the 1st floor; people staying in Tokyo for several nights who want to wash midway can use it, but it is shared equipment, not a washing machine in every room. I would avoid starting a wash only the night before an early departure, and leave time for waiting for machines and drying.
Next to the Main Building 3rd-floor front desk there is a self-serve amenities area: toothbrushes, combs, tea, drip coffee, and more, to take as needed. This centralized setup is convenient, and it also reminds me to pick up what I need when I finish check-in, instead of going back down by elevator after returning to my room.
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
The large Main Building has many rooms, and the check-in pace is not necessarily the same at every hour. In original reviews, some people found self check-in convenient, while others reported queuing a long time to check in. I wouldn’t treat one wait as a daily norm, but if you have a restaurant or activity booking right after arrival, I would leave buffer first; traveling with older guests and children, it is even more worth keeping arrival night loose.
Breakfast: high-rise views, or ANNEX’s different rhythm?
Breakfast venues available to Main Building guests include Manhattan Table on the Main Building’s 25th floor, and “Fujita” on ANNEX’s 1st floor. Not all breakfasts have moved to the 1st floor. Manhattan Table is a Japanese-Western buffet, served 6:30–10:30, last entry 10:00; Fujita is 7:00–10:30, last entry also 10:00. The two venues open at different times, so don’t mix them up when you need to catch a train in the morning.
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
I would save Manhattan Table for a day when you want to eat breakfast slowly amid Nishi-Shinjuku high-rise views. Its value is not having to go out early to find a restaurant, plus Japanese-Western choices letting companions each take what they need; window seats and your preferred entry time may still be affected by crowds, and cannot be treated as guaranteed parts of a breakfast-included plan.
At the time of the official check, the reference breakfast price for staying adult guests was 2,750 yen, 1,430 yen for ages 7–12, and 770 yen for ages 3–6, all tax-inclusive, with child discount prices applying on payment at the restaurant under official conditions. If you just want coffee and bread before heading out, I would compare no-breakfast plans first; even for a longer stay, you don’t necessarily need breakfast every day.
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Photo source: Trip.com hotel gallery
Original guest reviews mention a rich range of Japanese and Western breakfast choices, but I wouldn’t use that to guarantee the taste of every dish. The dishes in the gallery are display photos, and items vary by meal period and on-site supply; if you especially want a particular item, or have allergies or dietary restrictions, confirming before booking is more reliable than just looking at photos.
A day in Nishi-Shinjuku: park, high-rise district, and station-front shopping, planned separately
The hotel is near the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and Shinjuku Central Park, and — more than Kabukicho’s nightlife pace — it suits stringing together walks, high-rise streetscapes, and station-front shopping. If you want a slower daytime pace, I would first stroll around Nishi-Shinjuku, then eat and shop near Shinjuku Station; you don’t need to ride to every destination.
But living on the west side also means that going to Isetan, Shinjuku-Sanchome, or Kabukicho still requires crossing the station area. If your main activities each day are at the East Exit, or you plan to browse late before returning to the hotel, I would factor this return leg into the location choice, rather than just looking at the word “Shinjuku.”
On arrival day, I would first store luggage and confirm the street-level and underground entrances back to the hotel, then arrange a walk around the Metropolitan Government area or the park; on a shopping day, concentrate on the station-front malls, return to the room to drop things off after buying, then eat dinner. On an airport departure day, first confirm the bus or train, then arrange breakfast — the trip is easier than cramming every gap.
For short stays, look at transfers; for longer stays, think about size and cleaning needs first
For just one night, I would first compare flights, the airport bus, and the next day’s departure point. If a direct bus connects just right, the burden of dragging cases drops a lot; if you arrive in Shinjuku very late, the underground passage has opening-hour limits, so preparing a street-level route first is more reassuring.
For three or four nights or more, I would raise the priority of room size and non-smoking needs. On the first night there is only a suitcase; later come shopping bags and clothes, and the limits of 13 square metres are more easily magnified; on the same budget, choosing the right room type is often more worthwhile than one extra service you won’t use.
Don’t take cleaning for granted either. Original reviews mention guests saying longer stays mainly involve towel changes and rubbish collection; the official pages currently at hand do not state a full cleaning cycle clearly enough to apply directly to all plans. I would confirm at check-in which days get full cleaning and how to request it — especially for people with children, allergies, or who want beds made daily.
Three things I pay most attention to before booking
First is the room name: Main Building vs. ANNEX, newly renovated vs. other rooms, smoking vs. non-smoking are different selection criteria. For people sensitive to smoke smell, “ask the front desk to change on the day” should not be treated as a guarantee.
Second is space and cleanliness. The feeling that rooms are small recurs in original reviews, and recently a newly renovated twin-room guest also reported impressions of the cleanliness of cups and bedding. This cannot be generalized to all rooms, but if you find something unsuitable on entering, raising it specifically with the front desk early is more effective than dealing with it at the very end of your stay.
Third is noise and crowds. Some guests call rooms quiet, while others feel uncomfortable with a large hotel’s flow of people; room direction, stay dates, and time of day change the feeling. I would state a preference for a quiet room, while understanding the hotel cannot guarantee the arrangement.
Advantages and trade-offs, seen together
| Aspect | Advantage | Trade-off to accept |
|---|---|---|
| Airport transport | Airport limousine bus in front of the main entrance, reducing case-dragging transfers | Must match the timetable, and still affected by weather and road conditions |
| Getting around Shinjuku | Underground passage connection, convenient in the rain | Still a walk from the platforms, with nighttime opening hours |
| Room types | Single, twin, triple, and large family layouts to compare | Basic room types are on the small side; two large cases need placement planned first |
| Everyday facilities | Convenience store, in-hotel dining, and shared laundry support longer stays | Shared facilities may involve waiting; no in-room laundry |
| Breakfast | High-rise views and another building’s venue to choose from | Crowds, seating, and departure times need to fit together |
| Large hotel | Full range of service and facility options | Check-in peaks may involve queuing, and the atmosphere is busier |
My choice: for people who want to move luggage less, and are willing to choose a room well
What most attracts me about the Shinjuku Washington Hotel Main Building is that the airport bus, underground passage, and in-hotel facilities can be used together. For people whose itinerary is mainly central Tokyo and who want large luggage to go from airport to hotel with one less hassle, it is well worth including in the comparison.
For one person packing light on a short stay, I would look at single rooms; for two people each with a large case, I would first compare larger doubles and twins; for three adults traveling together, I would first verify the three-bed room type. If you want breakfast to be part of the trip too, arrange one day at the high-rise restaurant — there’s no need to tie every day to the same rhythm.
Choosing this hotel, I would accept a large hotel’s busyness and basic room types’ space limits, in exchange for complete everyday support and airport transfers. As long as you first get the building, bed type, size, and non-smoking needs right, it fits your actual itinerary more easily.
Fact-check date: 2026-10-25