Hotel review from someone far from friends but close to Tokyo 🧏🏻♀️
#TravelJapanByYourself #TravelJapanSolo #saitama #tokyo #WomenTravelingAlone #GetDiscountsWithoutLuck
✨Today, we're pinning our sights on Wakoshi Tobu Hotel✨
So cool! You're living "away from your friends." If you're traveling alone on a budget and have a lot of needs, we're friends (squeezing shoulders).
❗️Let me start by saying that I wanted a reasonably priced hotel in Tokyo because I was staying for 9 nights (I miss my friends so much and have no one to split the bill with 😭). The cheapest price I found was 2,200, but the reviews were pretty negative. The location wasn't very safe, and I wanted privacy, so I just looked for a hotel-style room.
After toiling around trying to find the right hotel: a good price, clean, convenient, close to the train station, and safe for a 155-cm-tall woman with a 24-inch suitcase, I finally found myself on the outskirts of Tokyo, Saitama.
And my heart immediately set on Wakoshi Tobu Hotel. The price was 1,8xx!! Oh my goodness! I researched, read both good and bad reviews, and used Street View to check the sign. Look at the building structure (why?) Check out the convenience stores around until you're sure it's the one! Book now! (Book 5 months in advance!)
🚉: Wakoshi Station isn't big, but it's not small either. It's easy to walk, not complicated, and not confusing. It's the starting point for many trains to Tokyo (the furthest station is Yokohama, yes! We tried it! The city view is amazing!). It's also perfect for Nakatoro, Omiya, Kazukabe, Kawagoe, and the Harry Potter Studio. Ikebukuro is also just a 15-minute ride away. There are two train lines to choose from, and the trains run very frequently. Most importantly, we returned at 11 PM every night, so we arrived at the station in a relaxed and comfortable manner. (But keep looking left, right, front, and back, because you can't trust anyone.) 🤫
🏨 Now, let's take a look at the hotel. The hotel is located right inside Wakoshi Station. You can enter from the building outside or through the supermarket inside the station. There's an elevator to the 4th floor. The 3rd floor is Uniqlo. There's a sign in the elevator, so you can definitely find it. When you open the elevator, you'll see the counter first. There's a relaxing area, free water, coffee, and several charging points. It's amazing! The staff speaks fluent English and their service is top-notch! Check-in was at 2 PM. If you want to go to your room, there's another elevator to take you up. The hall is quite long, I think it's as long as the train tracks! 🤣 You can leave your luggage here. We left it for the day, and they have a storage room with a numbered tag. Just zip it up properly.
What I really want to say is the condition of the room. It's incredibly clean! ✅ It smells clean, and the air conditioning is good. Everything looks new. The room isn't small, but it's not spacious either. It's perfect for unpacking your luggage. There's a refrigerator, hot, and boiling water. Everything is provided. I felt extremely safe. You can grab other necessities right in front of the elevator before going up to your room. And most importantly, there's no noise from the trains. I woke up at 2 PM one day. I wonder if I'll sleep or die.
🗺️ Next, I want to say that you won't have to worry about starving yourself if you stay here. There are a variety of convenience stores: Lawson, 7-11, FamilyMart, News Day, Matsumoto, everything is located around the station. Just choose from a variety of restaurants. There are small rice balls, fried food, bakeries, and even Super Café. The desserts are delicious. I love it when I come home late and find snacks on sale. It's so tempting!
The overall atmosphere around the station is quite crowded, but not as busy as Tokyo. It's not too hectic. It's a crowd that's not annoying. If you can avoid the rush hour, it's not too crowded. It's quiet at night. I went to a convenience store around midnight and felt very safe. Even though I was always wary, I didn't feel as wary of my surroundings. We went during the cherry blossom season. There are cherry blossom viewing spots in and around the city, and there weren't many tourists. It's great!
Long story short: This hotel is perfect for those looking for something new, away from the confines of Tokyo, but still with easy access to Tokyo without the hustle and bustle of a big city. It's a different kind of charm. It feels like you're watching people live in the suburbs, not like Samut Prakan. All the basic necessities are here. We traveled directly from the airport to the hotel. We took the airport bus to Ikebukuro, then took the train for 15 minutes, which was convenient. But I love the hassle. I took the Keisei Skyliner (I bought it on Trip for a discounted price of 2xx) and got off at either Nishi Nippori or Ueno Stations, then took the subway directly to the hotel. There should be a better option, but I couldn't find it.
This might be a long post, as this is my first time traveling abroad alone. I wanted to share some great, affordable hotels not too far from Tokyo. If you're looking to try solo travel, I encourage you to try something new. Don't forget to protect yourself, ladies! And by the way, if you read all the way to the end, you're amazing! You're so free! Thank you for reading! Thank you! 🫶🏻