hostel DEN

Unfortunately, my experience at this hostel wasn’t very positive. I ended up with bed bug bites all over my hand, and when I reported it to reception, the issue was brushed off as if it were my responsibility and dismissed as “just bugs,” which was disappointing and concerning. The nightly happy hour was also quite underwhelming. Most evenings it consisted only of the staff and myself, and the atmosphere felt dull rather than social. Overall, I found the staff to be less friendly than expected. Even small interactions felt unwelcoming; for example, although happy hour was advertised as starting at 7:00 pm, I was refused a drink at 6:59 and told to wait exactly one more minute before being served. These small but cumulative issues significantly affected my stay, and I wouldn’t choose to stay here again. I understand that others may have had a better experience; this was simply mine.

This is the dirtiest hostel I have stayed at in Japan. (And I have stayed in at least 10 hostels in Japan). The showers, sinks, dorms, hallway, staircase and common area were all dirty. We booked 3 nights and I wondered if they clean at all? There is mold in the bathroom. Also, the showers are on a different floor than the dormrooms. So you had to walk through the dirty staircase or elevator back to your dorm (where everyone wears their dirty shoes from outside). Guests also wear their outiside shoes in the dormrooms, because there are no shoeracks to prevent this. Every other hostel in Japane I have been to has shoeracks. The kitchen downstairs and common room are super messy. The people staying at the hostel are mostly young backpackers and they don’t seem to make an effort in keeping the place clean either (because it’s already dirty). The common area downstairs is way too small for the amount of people staying at the hostel. TIP: book directly via their website if you want to stay here anyway. Booking via booking.com costs double the price!!! We totally got ripped off.

I developed a rash after staying here, and my GP confirmed that it could have been due to bed bugs. I was hesitant to write this review as we couldn't be 100% certain this was the case, however, personally I would not risk staying here again. While it's very cheap, it's worth spending more money to stay in a more convenient location and not worry about standards of hygiene.

Got weird bites during the night. Probably not bed bugs, but something kept giving itching bites and other people noticed it too, whom did not live in the same room.

I had thought this was a really good place to stay at. However over the course of a two week stay everyone in my room realized we were all covered in these same, tiny bites. One evening after we came back from a trip around Tokyo, we found that our bed sheets had been changed without any of us asking. (Normally this is something you have to pay for). Later that night we found a fully grown bed bug. We all had an awful time sleeping, and found out that they had washed our sheets because they knew that we had bed bugs and didn’t tell us at all. After raising up our concerns to the management and workers, they brushed off our concerns and acted as if it was nothing. The ONLY thing they were willing to do was to help us move into a bigger room with more people. It was clear they didn’t know how bed bugs spread at all, and how bad they could be for their entire business, especially because of how easy they spread. They still made us pay to use their laundry machines, and gave no form of compensation. It was absolutely ridiculous how nonchalant they were about the whole ordeal. Do NOT stay here unless you want bed bugs and to go through the ordeal of throwing away luggage and spending hours cleaning them to ensure they don’t come home with you. I know this place is cheap, but as the saying goes “you get what you pay for.”

Location not ideal as getting home from a night out after 12 is expensive with taxi. I got bed bugs on the first night and moved beds. They didn’t seem that interested about it (and were skeptical - even though I’ve had them twice before and know the feeling) when in reality they should’ve emptied the whole form and fumigated it. Social space is tiny and awkward to be a part of if you’re on your own.