Hotel Route-Inn Tokyo Ikebukuro

It's a little far from the station, but it's easy to find once you get there.

Visited on a weekday in late April 2025. "Not recommended." It was generally okay, but the service from the male receptionist during dinner time was quite poor. I checked in and went straight to my room, which was right in front of the elevator and not very soundproof, so it was noisy. I was tired and annoyed, so I just wanted to sleep, but it was so noisy that I had to share a room with other people waiting for the elevator. I left my luggage there and went straight down to the reception. I was able to have a simple conversation in Japanese, but I didn't want to bother asking questions, so I just used a translator. I asked politely if I could change to a different room because the noise was so bad. It was a budget(?) business hotel, so I figured if they said no, I'd have no choice but to leave. There was a young male employee and an older male employee at the reception. The younger one answered my question, so I asked him. The younger one seemed unsure of how to handle it, so he asked the older male employee next to him (presumably his superior) what to do. The older employee scoffed, asking why I was asking for a room change. He then replied with a stern, "What's so noisy about that?" Of course, the conversation was happening right in front of me, and I was listening in real time. Their blatant tone was incredibly offensive, but I didn't have the energy to argue, so I prepared myself to go back to my room. Then, a younger employee who was talking to the older employee told me to wait, so I watched for a moment. The employee just turned around, pretended to look something up on his computer, and finally told me no. Haha, what did he want me to do? I was already feeling bad, and it felt like they were making fun of me, thinking I was a foreigner who couldn't understand, so I held back from venting. Judging by the employees' attitude, I felt like they weren't even using common sense, so I just left. Even now, after so much time has passed, the reason I'm writing a review is because the experience was so unpleasant. And the reason I'm leaving two stars instead of one for the service is because the female employees I encountered during the day were incredibly kind. Just... I think their intelligence level is such that they assume foreign customers won't understand Japanese, even though they're not doing business in a country hotel, and in Ikebu, the most popular area for sectarians in Tokyo. Even if there were no other places to stay in Ikebu, they probably wouldn't go here.

Used this hotel for an event. Less than a 10-minute walk from Ikebukuro Station. Front desk on the first floor; breakfast area, vending machines, ice machine, etc. on the second floor. This hotel has been around for a long time, making it one of the older Route Inns. The rooms were well-cleaned, but some dirt is inevitable due to age. The lack of lotion, milk, and facial cleanser was a real shame. 😭 I'd always stayed at other Route Inns, so I was careless and didn't bring any. 😭 Toothbrushes, razors, folding combs, cotton swabs, and body sponges were provided. There was no large public bath, so no cotton balls. Be careful if you need them! The location is great, with convenience stores, izakayas, and drugstores nearby. Luggage can be left before or after check-in. You can lock your luggage yourself and have it stored in the lobby. The front desk staff were also very polite.