The Shinagawa Prince Hotel is conveniently located across the street from the Shinagawa JR Station. This is a plus because in Japan, major department stores, groceries and restaurants are located in and around train stations. In fact, you will see that in some cities, there are miles of stores located underground, accessible from the train station. So if you want to buy bento boxes, water, milk or some cakes for gifts, the hotel is in an ideal location.
It’s also well situated because Shinagawa is a major hub for all railroads. You can take a direct bullet train to Kyoto from here, and the major stations (including Ueno, Tokyo, Yokohama) are only minutes away.
As for the hotel itself, I have mixed feelings. At first impression, the hotel staff was very courteous. They spoke English, the check in was easy, and they were more than helpful in bringing your suitcase to your room. As for the room, we had a triple (3 single size beds). The room was the size of a closet; with 2 large suitcases, a stroller and a couple of bags, the room felt cramped. It was like putting 3 beds in a small bedroom. But all that said, everything you need can be found in the room. They have a small refrigerator, a flat screen TV, cups, mugs, tray, etc., to make tea or coffee. There is a small desk with a convenient electrical outlet, and for a fee there is an internet connection (they also have an internet café upstairs in the Annex building).
The biggest complaint about the hotel is that the beds were very uncomfortable. They felt lumpy and yet uncushioned (like sleeping on a stack of cardboard). Needless to say, I didn’t sleep well.
Here are some tips: you have the option of not having your bath towels and bed sheets changed daily. For every day that they don’t do this, they will give you 500 yen credit per person per day. So in our case, we had our room cleaned every other day, so we had 1500 yen credit every other day, and we used the credits (coupons you pick up at the front desk) toward breakfast at the hotel buffet (which by the way is 2000 yen per person before you apply the credits).
The hotel is otherwise a city unto itself. There are 3 towers, and within them are movie theaters, aquarium/dolphin show, restaurants, food court and multiple shops. And of course, if you go to the Wing department store across the street (adjacent to the train station), you’ll find more, including the grocery store on the basement floor.
So all in all, I would recommend this place if you want to save a little bit of money and you want the convenience of travel over the sense of luxury/comfort. But if you want a first rate accommodation, look elsewhere.
If you'd like, you can see my travelogue, along with my tips on travel and photos on my site Shuweb.
