APA HOTEL SHINJUKU-KABUKICHO TOWER
APA high-rise at 1-20-2 Kabukicho, two minutes from Seibu-Shinjuku, with a 28th-floor bath
About this hotel
Two Shinjuku stations matter here, and they are not the same building. JR Shinjuku, served by the Yamanote and Chuo lines, is about six minutes away via the East Exit. Seibu-Shinjuku, terminus of the Seibu Shinjuku Line to Hon-Kawagoe, stands roughly 420 m north of the JR complex and only about two minutes from the hotel; the Subnade underground mall links the two. APA built this 28-floor tower with 620 rooms and put a guests-only large bath, with open-air sections, on the top floor. Reception is staffed around the clock and keeps luggage before check-in and after check-out. The address is the detail to check: APA Hotel Higashi-Shinjuku Kabukicho Tower is a separate building about seven minutes away.
- About two minutes on foot from Seibu-Shinjuku and six from the JR Shinjuku East Exit
- Top-floor bath open 15:00 to 1:00 and 6:00 to 10:00
- 620 rooms over 28 floors
- Front desk open 24 hours, with luggage storage
- Average score of 7.6 from 4,679 guest reviews
- 29 mechanical parking spaces, first come, first served
Our take
At 1-20-2 Kabukicho, this APA tower is closer to Seibu-Shinjuku, about two minutes on foot, than to JR Shinjuku, about six minutes from the East Exit. That suits a day trip to Kawagoe: Seibu's Red Arrow limited expresses reach Hon-Kawagoe in about 45 minutes. The 28th-floor bath, reserved for guests and partly open-air, is why I would pick it over the dozens of Shinjuku business hotels after a long day on trains. I would not book it for light sleepers or young children: the street outside is Kabukicho, Tokyo's late-night entertainment district, busy well past midnight. The 7.6 average across 4,679 reviews is solid rather than outstanding.
- From JR Shinjuku with luggage, leave by the East Exit and head north across Yasukuni-dori into Kabukicho: the walk is about six minutes. From the Tokyo Metro, exit B13 is about five minutes away; from the Subnade underground mall, exit 5 is about two.
- Arriving from Haneda, the route the hotel itself gives is the Keikyu line to Shinagawa, then the JR Yamanote Line to Shinjuku and out through the East Exit.
- Seibu-Shinjuku is a separate station about 420 m north of JR Shinjuku, linked by the Subnade mall, and the Japan Rail Pass does not cover the private Seibu line. Red Arrow limited expresses are fully reserved and need a limited express ticket on top of the fare; ordinary expresses need no reservation but take longer.
- The large bath runs from 15:00 to 1:00, then again from 6:00 to 10:00: after a late arrival you still have until 1 a.m., and before an early train there is a morning slot.
- Do not confuse it with APA Hotel Higashi-Shinjuku Kabukicho Tower, a separate building about seven minutes away: look for 1-20-2 Kabukicho on your booking.
Why we love it
- Guests-only large bath with open-air sections on the 28th floor
- About two minutes on foot from Seibu-Shinjuku for trains to Kawagoe
- Front desk staffed 24 hours, with luggage storage either side of your stay
Why guests love itFor a family, the bath and the station access are real assets, but the setting is the catch. The tower stands in Kabukicho, Tokyo's late-night entertainment district, so walking back from dinner with children means passing bars, clubs and crowds well into the night. Reception runs 24 hours and keeps luggage, which helps on travel days when check-in and the train do not line up. The car park has 29 mechanical spaces, first come, first served, with no reservations and height limits, so a family arriving by car needs a fallback. With young children I would rather sleep on the west side of Shinjuku Station, among the office towers; with teenagers who want the neon and a soak on the 28th floor, this tower works well.