Sakura Hotel Ikebukuro - Hostel

The staff were polite, friendly, and easy to communicate with. The daily room clean was inconsistent and didn't always include a linen change, but fresh towels were always provided. We never heard noise from other rooms, only when people would talk in the hallway. We had to adjust the temperature in our mini fridge because our food froze inside. My husband and I stayed here (in the annex building) for two weeks in January and by the end of our trip the quality of the mattress was causing restless nights and sore backs. The temperature in the room was difficult to get right, and we usually slept with the window open a few inches. So I would stay here again, but only for shorter periods. The location is great! Super easy walk to Ikebukuro JR station, restaurants, karaoke rooms, arcades, shops, and a sento where we went almost every night. We were often awoken by early morning truck deliveries and garbage pickup along the street, but I don't know how avoidable that is. The cafe downstairs was nice to have on nights when we wanted an easy dinner, but a protein option in the $5 breakfast would be appreciated (it only includes toast, tea, coffee, and water). The cafe was also nice when we just needed to sit down at a table for 5 minutes, since our room didn't have space for that. The cafe gets quite busy and loud on weekend nights, but the seating areas are split by the entryway with a quieter space on the far side. Overall it's a good budget option.

Overally a great hotel in a superb location. Only an 8 minute walk from Ikebukuro station. The dining area was great. The restaurant was always buzzing and the food and drink options were good. The weekly share a meal with someone from another country/culture is a great idea.

Staff

Room was spotless