Dormy Inn Shibuya Jingumae Hot Spring in Tokyo: Practical, Not Fancy

This is a continuation of my Japan/China trip report. See also Back from China and Japan Trip! 5 Takeaways, Worth it: JAL Premium Economy Award Seats, Better Than Expected: AA Premium Economy Shanghai PVG to DFW, Hits and Misses from our day at Tokyo DisneySea, Take this Line and Shove It (Literally): Shanghai Disneyland Hits and Misses, Dormy Inn Shibuya Jingumae Hot Spring in Tokyo (this post)

The first stop of our trip to Japan/China was Tokyo. Originally, I booked a Hyatt House hotel in Shibuya, but I was only able to get one room on points due to availability (even one year in advance). The cash cost of the second room was high. Then, we added a 6th person to our group, and I determined that 3 rooms would be ideal. So, I started looking for lodging alternatives and decided on Dormy Inn Premium Shibuya Jingumae Hot Spring.  I booked 3 rooms on Hotels.com (our affiliate link),

Why I Chose This Hotel

Based on my research, many travelers recommended staying in the Shibuya area of Tokyo. The location was ideal for our plans to visit Shibuya Sky observation deck as well as Takeshita Street in Harajuku. Both were within walking distance of Dormy Inn Premium Shibuya Jingumae Hot Spring.

Cost was also a factor. Hotels in Tokyo are expensive, especially when you’re looking for 3 rooms. We paid around $220 for each room, which was inclusive of a breakfast buffet.

In addition, the hotel offered a free noodle bar from 9 p.m. –  11 p.m. and free ice cream bars. With 3 young men in our group with large appetites, I figured this would come in handy.

Checking In

We took Ubers from the airport to the hotel with no issues.

The building is not glamorous, and in fact the entry is often obscured by delivery trucks. However, check-in was very easy through kiosks in the lobby. We had to scan our passports as part of the check-in process, and the kiosks spit out our keys.

After checking in, we discovered many restaurants within walking distance, including tons in a nearby mall. One thing we noticed, however, is that there is a small park near the hotel that had some homeless people living in it. We walked past the park a few times, and we had no issues and I never felt unsafe.

Our Rooms at Dormy Inn

Our rooms were very small and basic. That is common in Tokyo. Two rooms had two twin beds:

And one room had one queen bed:

The beds were relatively firm, and the pillows were flat as pancakes. I usually like flat pillows, but these were both hard and flat. Luckily, I was so tired from the journey to Tokyo that I still managed to sleep for the two nights we were there.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo of the bathroom. It was small, yet functional, with a fancy Japanese toilet with all the bells and whistles. Toiletries included conditioner, which I always like to see.

My room faced the trains coming in and out of Shibuya Station. However, with the window closed, we weren’t bothered by any noise.

Hotel Amenities

The free ice cream freezer was on my floor, and we visited it every night:

Surprisingly, nobody in our group took advantage of the free evening noodles.

There was also a manga library:

And an inside smoking room (which I discovered is common in Japan and China):

The hotel had separate spa facilities for men and women that included a hot spring soaking pool, a cold bath and a sauna. I ended up not using it because the rules did not permit swimsuits and I just wasn’t comfortable in my birthday suit. While I did go see it in person, I obviously did not take photos due to naked people. Here is a link to photos on the hotel’s website. 

Breakfast Buffet

I enjoyed the breakfast buffet each morning. There was plenty of seating:

Although the buffet wasn’t huge, there were still plenty of food choices, both Asian and Western.

I appreciated that everything was clearly labeled in both Japanese and English.

In addition, there was an extensive selection of coffees, teas, juices and sodas:

Overall Thoughts

This was obviously not the most luxurious hotel we’ve stayed in. However, it served our needs for the beginning of our trip before we moved to be closer to Tokyo Disney Resort. If you’re staying longer than 2-3 nights, however, the beds and pillows might not be ideal for sleep, although we discovered that all of the beds in Japan were much firmer than what we’re used to.