Shibuya Mustard Hotel: Budget Stay in Tokyo with Shared Bathroom & Breakfast

As more and more people are traveling to Japan, the price of accommodation in Japan has increased a lot recently. Tokyo is one of the places where I felt that the price has increased a lot. I traveled to various parts of Japan this year. But Tokyo was the most difficult place to choose a place to stay because of the price. I chose Shibuya as the center of my hotel location. I was wondering if I should go to another area because of the high price of Shibuya hotel. Then I found Shibuya Mustard Hotel. The hotel is famous for its lobby with yellow benches. And it has a young and trendy feel, so I chose it.

Tokyo Mustard Hotel is located in the south of Shibuya. You can walk to the hotel in about 15 minutes. While it looked close on the map. I felt like it was farther than I expected to walk with my suitcase. Especially since Shibuya Station is so maze-like that I got lost trying to find my way to the hotel.

When I finally found the direction and tried to cross the street. There was no crosswalk on the first floor. So I had to take the stairs to the second floor and use a pedestrian overpass to get around. I recommend that when you arrive at Shibuya Station, find the direction from the second floor.

Also, the direction towards Shibuya Mustard Hotel wasn’t as bustling as I expected. All of Shibuya’s famous shopping and dining spots are located north of Shibuya Station. So you may have to walk more than you think to get out of the Mustard Hotel and start exploring Tokyo.

When you enter the hotel, you’ll see the yellow bench photo you saw when you booked. I arrived here around 12:00, dropped off my luggage, did some sightseeing, and returned in the late evening to check in.

When I checked in, I was greeted by an English-speaking staff member who explained the hotel’s facilities. The fact that there are no disposable items or pajamas in the rooms to protect the environment. And that you can borrow them for a fee.

There was a breakfast room next to the check-in counter and a restaurant that serves burgers in the afternoon. There were also bicycles available for rent in front of the hotel. As I mentioned above, the hotel is not as close to the downtown area as you might think. So it would be nice to rent a bicycle and explore the surroundings. There are Daikanyama and Nakameguro rivers to the left of Shibuya, so it would be nice to explore.

I booked a double room, which is the cheapest room available. As I was the only person staying at the hostel. There was no toilet or shower in the room, so I had to use the shared facilities. It felt more like a capsule hotel with a private room than a hotel. I could have stayed at the First Cabin Capsule Hotel which was almost double the price. But I really wanted a private room with soundproofing. Because I had a hard time with the snoring of the person next to me in the capsule hotel the day before. Also, there are some rooms with a restroom inside the room, although the price goes up. So please consider it when booking.

First, you get your room key and go upstairs to a white corridor. I read a review that said it looked like a mental hospital, but I can understand why they said that. The long corridor and all white color gave it a unique feeling.

The rooms in Japanese hotels are often not very spacious. So there is no toilet or shower in the room, so it’s really just a small space with a bed. You can bundle up to two people, but I think it would feel cramped for two people.

There was a small table next to the bed. But it wasn’t high enough to put a tablet on and watch videos.

There was a small sink in the room, so I was able to brush my teeth and wash my face. To my disappointment, there was no refrigerator or TV in the room. Also water is not provided, so I recommend buying it at a convenience store beforehand.

Lastly, the floor of the room felt a little sticky. I think it felt more so because the floor was coated.

The room I booked didn’t have a bathroom. So I had to use the shared facilities to use the restroom or shower.

On the floor I was on, the men’s restroom had a shower stall, but the women’s restroom didn’t seem to have a shower stall. The woman has to go to another floor to shower.

So I was able to take a shower on the same floor. So it wasn’t a big inconvenience, but I think it would be inconvenient.

The showers were in booths so that you could wash individually. And there were fewer people using them than I expected. So It was nice that I didn’t encounter many people when I was there.

Shibuya Mustard Hotel has a common area and a smoking room on the 7th floor, the top floor. There are vending machines, microwaves, and ice machines. Also there are desks so you can have a bite to eat or work on your laptop.

And if you need to do laundry, there is a coin-operated laundry just a short walk from the hotel.

For convenience stores, there was a 7-Eleven about a 5 minute walk away.

I added a breakfast reservation when I booked the hotel. I was able to choose from a menu of breakfast items and have unlimited drinks in the bar.

So I had the option of French toast or sandwiches for breakfast, and I chose the French toast. If you want to buy it on site, you can pay 1500 yen for it.

I wasn’t expecting much since it was a regular hotel breakfast. But I was very pleased with the taste and visuals. While 1500 yen is a bit pricey and not something I would splurge on. It was a satisfying breakfast that exceeded my expectations.

In this post, I introduced the Mustard Hotel near Shibuya Station in Tokyo. The hotel is located near Tokyo Shibuya Station. Although it was farther away from the station than I expected, I was able to get a good deal on accommodation around Shibuya. The bathrooms were shared, which was a bit of an inconvenience. But if you want a private room rather than a capsule room that’s prone to noise, this is a great option.