Booth Net Café + Capsule Shinjuku

Name: Booth Net Café + Capsule

Kind: Internet Café + Capsule Hotel

Free Wifi: Yes

Location: 35°41’38.62″ N 139°42’06.28″ E

Stations: Shinjuku Station, JR Yamanote Line, Odakyu Electric Railway, Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway

Worth it? Yep.

Our Rating: ⭑⭑⭑

Updated 9/17/2021

Just east of Shinjuku Station is a small capsule hotel + café called Booth Net Cafe.

The hotel is located 1 block behind the large Don Quijote on the corner around 35°41’38.62″ N 139°42’06.28″ E near Kabuchiko.

The hotel is very clean + has both “pod”-style capsules and slightly larger twin-bed-sized rooms. It also offers a huge free lounge, manga library, and free drinks + free green tea ice cream on check-in.

Like most internet cafés in Tokyo, you can stay for an hour, or up to 10 hours. Each 15 min after 10 hours is 150¥ (about $1.25). Rates vary based on stay duration. 1 hour costs 600¥ (about $5.50), and 10 hours will set you back 2,400¥ (about $22 bucks). Not bad.

The facilities are very clean, well-lit, and have a cool retro-modern design language. There are some nice photos of the place over on this site. Or this one.

The hotel is divided into 2 sides for men + women. Another big advantage (unlike in most capsule hotels) is that Booth has actual glass windows in the large capsules which let you look out over Shinjuku. The location can’t be beat – everything is at your fingertips outside. There is a small currency exchange (Sakura Exchange) just a few blocks to the northwest.

Some occupants have reported the hotel is a bit stuffy, but nearly all capsule hotels in Tokyo are – once they reach full occupancy at night. Like most capsule hotels, there are no windows that open to refresh the hotel air – so you’re stuck with the central A/C and air the hotel provides. For people with chemical sensitivities, this may be an issue. Plan ahead. If you want a capsule hotel/hostel which does have windows that open, try any of the &And Hostels around Tokyo (like the one in Akihabara).

For obvious reasons, smoking is not allowed – except in the smoking booth in the lobby.

Net café – Pick Your Poison

A net café room with a tiny desk + PC for rental costs 600¥ for 2 hours, which isn’t bad. You can stay longer. You get cushion to sit on, a small desk, and a full-sized PC with display (and a reading lamp). Headphones are provided, but we recommend you bring your own. There are both private PC rooms, and a common PC area in the lobby with large tables full of PCs. There are also large reading chairs in the lobby. You can also get a net cafe room without a bed, replaced by a single large office chair.

There are common shower/toilet areas, but oddly, you have to pay for showers by first obtaining a key at the front desk.

Also note that none of the capsules close entirely – due to Japanese law to prevent both fire hazards and suffocation in hotels. Nor do any of the capsule doors lock due to the same laws. But all capsule hotels in Japan have the same restrictions.

All-in-all, Booth is a great place. The location is pefect, the prices are great, and there’s stuff to do even if you don’t have anything to do. If you need a quick nap or plan to stay overnight, Booth might be just the place.

Enjoy!

LINKS

booth-netcafe.com

Booth Net Cafe & Capsule – Tripadvisor