Shinjuku Prince Hotel vs Hotel Gracery Shinjuku: which to book?

The Prince has the station link; both hotels are a walk from JR

The station connected to the Prince is Seibu-Shinjuku Station, not JR Shinjuku Station. Seibu-Shinjuku Station is on the 2nd floor of the hotel building, and you have to walk from the JR and subway stations at Shinjuku. The Prince lists about a 5-minute walk from the East and West ticket gates of JR Shinjuku Station, and Gracery lists about 5 minutes from the JR East Exit. Compare them using the times on the Prince access page and the Gracery access page, and if you have luggage, allow extra time to find the right exit inside the station.

Neither hotel lets you walk from the street straight to the front desk. At the Prince, you take an elevator from the 1st-floor entrance down to the front desk on the basement level (B1). At Gracery, you take a dedicated elevator from the hotel entrance up to the front desk on the 8th floor. If you know which floor the check-in line and the baggage drop are on, you will spend less time wandering the building when you arrive.

The Prince, if you ride the Seibu line often

If your plans have you leaving Shinjuku on the Seibu line and coming back, the Prince's station link is useful. If you will use that line several times during the trip, it cuts the walk to the hotel. On a JR-centered itinerary this advantage shrinks. If you read "station access" on a booking page and assume the hotel sits right above the JR station, you will have to work out the route again after you arrive. If you ride the Toei Oedo Line, note too that the official directions list about a 2-minute walk from Shinjuku-nishiguchi Station.

Rooms of the same 30.6 m² at the Prince still differ by type. The Deluxe Twin has two 120 cm beds and takes 2 guests. The Superior Twin has two 120 cm beds that are 203 cm long, and takes 3 guests. The official list also shows a separate Superior Twin labeled "Bathroom Renovation" on the 20th and 21st floors, with a renovated bathroom and renovated air conditioning. The regular Superior Twin is on the 15th to 19th floors, and the Deluxe Twin is on the 20th, 22nd and 24th floors. The bed length differs too: 203 cm in the Superior Twin and 195 cm in the Deluxe Twin. Renovation status and floor differ even at the same size, so read the room name on the booking screen to the end.

If three people stay in a Superior Twin, the first thing to note is that it has two beds. The official room list does not say where the third person sleeps, so check the bedding terms of the rate you plan to book. If two people simply want a large room, choose between the Deluxe Twin and the Superior Twin, both 30.6 m², by the floor and renovation status you prefer.

Check-in starts at 1:00 p.m., an hour earlier than at Gracery. If you arrive early, the hotel says you can leave your bags at the 1st-floor bell desk or the B1 front desk before check-in, and after check-out as well. Breakfast is a mainly Western-style buffet at Prince Marché, the hotel's buffet restaurant, from 6:30 to 10:00 a.m. Whether breakfast is included depends on the rate, so compare that before you book.

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Gracery, in the Toho Building

Gracery is in the Shinjuku Toho Building, the one with the Godzilla head. The building is easy to recognize when you walk back from dinner in Kabukicho. From the hotel entrance you take a dedicated elevator up to the front desk on the 8th floor. Seibu-Shinjuku Station is also about a 3-minute walk away, so riding the Seibu line is no reason to rule Gracery out.

In the rooms, the bathroom layout is worth comparing. The official Standard Twin page describes the bathroom and toilet as separate spaces. If two people prefer that layout for getting ready, look at Gracery first. The Prince's official room list does not say whether the bathroom and toilet are separate.

If three people are staying together, Gracery's Triple is the benchmark. The official room list shows 28 m², 3 guests and three 110 cm beds, and explains that they are regular single beds, not extra cots. It is a little smaller than the Prince's Superior Twin, but each of the three guests has a bed. If someone in your party uses a wheelchair, there are also step-free universal rooms, so check the conditions on the official list.

If you want to see the Godzilla head up close, adjust your expectations. The official FAQ says the 8th-floor terrace with the Godzilla head and the lounge terrace seating are currently closed. The related notice dates from November 2023 and gives no reopening date, so check the hotel's notices before you visit. If you want a room with Godzilla in the window, look at the separate room type, the Godzilla View Double Room. It is a double, so it is a different choice from a twin where two people each have their own bed.

Check-in is at 2:00 p.m. and check-out at 11:00 a.m. The official FAQ says check-out can be extended until 2:00 p.m., depending on the room plan, for an extra 1,100 yen per person per hour (tax included). Breakfast is a buffet at Sizzler on the 1st floor of the building, from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. (last order 10:00 a.m.). The 8th floor has a coin-operated washing machine for guests only, which helps on a longer stay.

Even a "twin" is not the same room

The Prince's official room list shows the Twin Room (Standard Twin) as 15.3 m² with two 97 cm beds for 2 guests, and the Deluxe Twin as 30.6 m² with two 120 cm beds for 2 guests. Gracery's official room list shows the Standard Twin as 24 m² with two 120 cm beds for 2 guests. Gracery's Standard is larger than the Prince's Standard and smaller than the Prince's Deluxe.

The numbers make the difference clearer. The Prince Standard Twin's 97 cm bed width is 23 cm narrower than the 120 cm in the other two rooms. If two larger-framed guests each want to sleep comfortably, this width may matter before floor area does. If you will be out all day and only need a room to sleep in, weigh whether 15.3 m² is enough against how much luggage you carry. If you need to open two large suitcases at once, 24 m² or more is the less cramped benchmark.

The photos above are room examples from each hotel's Agoda property gallery. The Gracery photo does not show a room type name. Check the photos, floor area and bed count in the description of the room you actually book. The official pages for the twin rooms compared here do not say whether there is a bathtub or only a shower, so if a bathtub matters to you, ask the hotel.

For the final price comparison, enter the same dates and number of guests. If you also match the non-smoking option, breakfast inclusion and free-cancellation deadline, you are less likely to compare different rates on Agoda and Trip.com.

Getting there on arrival day from the airport

If you take the airport bus, both hotels point you to the Tokyu Kabukicho Tower stop. From the stop, each hotel is about a 2-minute walk. The Prince says it takes about 35 to 75 minutes from Haneda Airport and about 85 to 145 minutes from Narita Airport. From Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, Gracery says it takes as little as 35 minutes to Haneda Airport Terminal 2 and as little as 1 hour 30 minutes to Narita Airport Terminal 3. These are shortest times toward the airports; for the trip in from the airport, the Prince’s ranges above (about 35 to 75 and 85 to 145 minutes) are the closer guide. Times vary with traffic and route, so check the timetable for your arrival terminal separately. If no service fits this stop, also look at Busta Shinjuku at the south exit of Shinjuku Station.

If you arrive by JR, pick the exit for your hotel, check in, and plan the first day around dinner in Kabukicho, near where you are staying. The idea is to put your bags down before you move on, instead of looking for a restaurant with a suitcase in tow. Gracery's official directions include a route from the East Exit, and for the Prince you go from the JR exits toward the Seibu-Shinjuku Station building.

If your flight lands in the morning, the check-in time makes the difference. The Prince starts check-in at 1:00 p.m. and Gracery at 2:00 p.m. If you arrive earlier, the realistic plan is to leave your bags at the front desk, have lunch and come back. If your last-day flight is late, also check whether you can leave bags after check-out, and whether a paid extension is possible; at Gracery it depends on the room plan.

Both hotels are in Kabukicho. If a quiet night street around your lodging is the priority, it is better to compare other parts of Shinjuku as well.

Short questions and answers

Is Shinjuku Prince Hotel connected to JR Shinjuku Station?

No. The station on the 2nd floor of the hotel building is Seibu-Shinjuku Station. JR Shinjuku Station is listed as about a 5-minute walk from the East and West ticket gates.

Which twin is larger for two guests?

On the official room lists, the order from smallest to largest is the Prince Standard Twin at 15.3 m², the Gracery Standard Twin at 24 m², and the Prince Deluxe Twin at 30.6 m². Only the Prince Standard Twin has 97 cm beds; the other two rooms have 120 cm beds.

Which room should I look at for three guests?

If each person needs their own bed, look first at Gracery's Triple (28 m², three 110 cm beds). The Prince's Superior Twin takes 3 guests but is listed with two beds, so check the third person's sleeping arrangement in the rate you plan to book.

Can I leave my bags before check-in?

The Prince says you can leave bags at the 1st-floor bell desk or the B1 front desk both before check-in and after check-out. Gracery's official FAQ also says it holds bags at the 8th-floor front desk.

Can I go up to Gracery's Godzilla terrace?

The official FAQ says the 8th-floor terrace with the Godzilla head is currently closed. The related notice is dated November 2023 and gives no reopening date, so check the hotel's notices before your visit to see whether it has reopened.

If you only ride JR, decide by room type

If you use the Seibu line often or want to check in at 1:00 p.m., look at the Prince first. If two people want a large room, the Prince's Deluxe Twin (30.6 m²) is the largest. If you want a separate bathroom and toilet, or three people each need their own bed, Gracery's Standard Twin (24 m²) and Triple (28 m²) fit. If you only ride JR, both hotels are about a 5-minute walk and the station advantage shrinks, so decide by these room conditions and the check-in time.