Tokyo's Best Value Hotels｜Hoshinoya Tokyo: Is It Worth It?

For my last two days in Tokyo, I chose to stay at Hoshinoya Tokyo. This legendary "Japanese-style hot spring ryokan hidden within the city's skyscrapers" costs over 7,000 RMB per night, including tax. But the moment I stepped inside, I realized: this place isn't selling accommodation—it's selling a sense of time that allows you to slow down. From the exterior, it doesn't even look like a hotel—calm, restrained, and discreet. The building is wrapped in black checkered stone, resembling a Zen-like box embedded in the city's texture. The entrance has no obvious signage; it took me a while to find it. Only a stone lantern silently welcomes guests. As you push open the door, you step into another dimension. Hoshinoya requires all guests to remove their shoes upon entry, encouraging you to shed your identity and slow your pace from the very beginning. Even the elevator floor is covered in tatami mats, a detail that instantly calms you. The rooms continue the Japanese minimalist aesthetic: wooden floors, tatami mats, low furniture arrangements. There are no unnecessary items, nor any overly designed elements. Yet every detail is just right—the soft lighting, the warm textiles, the wooden furnishings. This place isn't about showcasing "beauty" but about creating "tranquility." My favorite moment was waking up in the morning, with light filtering through the shoji paper screens and the air so quiet you could hear your own breathing. Wearing the indoor robe they provide, I soaked in the hot spring area, then sat by the tatami mat and slowly enjoyed a glass of cold milk. This rhythm is hard to find while living in a big city. The most surprising feature for me was the hotel's rooftop hot spring design. As you step onto the top floor, the thick tatami mats absorb your footsteps, and faint water sounds fill the air. Entering the hot spring area, the air becomes warm and humid, with a slight sulfur scent that immediately relaxes you. The hot spring is divided into indoor and semi-open sections, where wooden structures blend naturally with rock pools. Despite being surrounded by Tokyo's skyscrapers, this place exudes a serenity akin to a "hidden mountain retreat." That night, I soaked in the semi-open hot spring pool, with Tokyo's night sky above me. I could see stars and the reflections of skyscraper lights shimmering on the water's surface. At that moment, I suddenly understood what Hoshinoya aims to offer: an ultimate sense of "detachment"—detachment from daily routines, information noise, and even language. Some say it's expensive, and I agree—it is. But from an interior designer's perspective, what truly makes it costly isn't the hardware but its ability to create an atmosphere. This "emotional value" conveyed through design language is the hardest to replicate. 🙏🏻 That night, I didn't deliberately take photos or scroll through my phone. I simply immersed myself in its "slowness" and "purity." Perhaps this is the gift Hoshinoya wants to give every guest—a moment of space where you can comfortably be yourself. ☺️