One common question we get from readers planning a family trip to Japan is where to stay in Tokyo with kids. In such a massive, dense city it can be hard to pick!
This helpful guide will help you choose the family-friendly Tokyo hotel for your needs, whether you love luxury hotels, budget hotels, or something in between. Read on to find out what to look for when you’re choosing your Tokyo accommodation and some top options that you’re sure to love.
Quick picks: Best hotels in Tokyo for families
Don’t have time to read this entire guide? Here are a few stand-out Tokyo family hotels you can’t miss:
- Mimaru Tokyo Hatchobori – for space, convenience and Pokémon themed rooms
- Park Hyatt Tokyo – for luxury
- Hilton Tokyo Bay – for a visit to Tokyo Disney
What to look for in Tokyo family hotels
Choosing a family friendly base for exploring Tokyo can be a little tricky because there are many factors to consider. You’ll want to think about several aspects unique to visiting Tokyo with kids before you start digging into specific hotels in Tokyo.
- Occupancy limitations – Simply put, some hotels in tokyo only let you book rooms for 2 or perhaps 3 people. Most can accommodate 4 people (though not all) and a few allow 5+ in a family room. Since occupancy limits are strict, be sure to put in the correct number of people and ages – you don’t want to be turned away from triple rooms because you really should have booked quad rooms! Japanese front desks are generally inflexible about this so be sure your searches are accurate.
- Western vs traditional Japanese style rooms – Even in central Tokyo you can find traditional Japanese style rooms if you look for them. They’re outfitted with tatami mat floors and hotel staff roll out a row of futons to sleep on in the evening. We found futons very comfortable but they would be a big surprise if you were expecting a Western room with fixed beds – especially if you get an early check-in after a long flight across the Pacific.
- Nearby train stations – You will take trains in Tokyo, that’s not a question. You definitely want to be walking distance to a train station (or two) but you may want to consider which type of station. Local transportation includes JR trains, Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway and several other lines. If you plan a lot of day trips from Tokyo, it can be helpful to stay near one of the major JR station hubs like Tokyo station or Shinagawa station, which have are shinkansen stops, or Shinjuku station or Shibuya station where you can easily make connections. On the other hand, if you’ll spend most of your time exploring within central Tokyo, being walking distance to a less crowded train station may be easier to manage with young children.
Chances are you won’t spend a ton of time in your hotel room even if it’s centrally located, but taking these particularities into account can make your visit much smoother!
Best downtown Tokyo family hotels
Hyatt Regency Tokyo
I’ll start with the Hyatt Regency Tokyo in Shinjuku, which is where we stayed. Th mid-priced Tokyo hotel is very conveniently located above a relatively quiet Tokyo metro station, but it’s also only a 10 minute walk to the world’s busiest train station! From Shinjuku Station you can get anywhere, and there are tons of great restaurants surrounding (and inside) the station.
Thankfully the area right around the Hyatt Regency is very quiet. It’s next to the Municipal Government Building, which offers a free observation deck. The line can be long at mid-day but is generally short (or non-existent) if you go right at opening or shortly before closing.
The Hyatt itself has a striking lobby and comfortable, if simple, rooms. We booked the “twin room with a view” and it offered two beds plus an ample seating area for our family (the couch even converts to a sleeper which we didn’t realize at the time). It was the perfect spot to sample and trade our 7-11 hauls – there’s one right under the hotel, which is convenient if you need anything! Like many Japanese hotels, our room came with slippers and yukatas to wear while we relaxed.
Note: Some people are reporting that they are only able to book the Hyatt Regency Tokyo for 3 people. If you’re seeing that but feel like it’s the right option for you, book a cancellable rate and then reach out to the hotel to add another child.
The concierge and front desk were very helpful in meeting all our needs, from forgotten charging cables to arranging for our luggage to be shipped to our hotel in Kyoto.
The price for booking several months in advance was very reasonable, but I also could have transferred points from our Chase Sapphire Preferred card to book this Tokyo hotel for free. It ranges from 12,000 to 18,000 points per night, which is a real bargain! If you’re a Hyatt loyalist, know that as of this writing it’s a Category 4 so this is a great choice if you have a free night certificate in your account.
After you book your room, be sure to drop the hotel a note requesting a view of Mt. Fuji! That was a welcome surprise on a clear morning.
Mimaru Tokyo Hatchobori or Mimaru Tokyo Ueno East
Without a doubt, the most popular family hotels in Japan belong to the Mimaru “aparthotel” chain. They’ve thought of everything a family could want!
We didn’t stay at one of these location but did have an excellent experience at their sister property in Kyoto with kids. Why should you stay at Mimaru Tokyo Hatchobori or Mimaru Tokyo Ueno East? For starters, because these are the Tokyo Pokemon hotels! There are plenty of Pokemon things to do in Japan, but this was a favorite for our family as you can see.
If you book early enough, you can snag a Pokemon themed room in this apartment style hotel. You’ll have ample sleeping space for four people plus the option to add a crib for free. There’s also a compact but fully-functional kitchen in case you want to have breakfasts or snacks in the room.
The entire Mimaru chain is extremely family-friendly, even if you don’t choose a Pokemon room. They offer several configurations that accommodate families perfectly, including options with bunk beds. You’ll find large rooms at many of their locations, though sizes vary among their family friendly rooms.
My daughter loved the child-sized slippers, kid toothpaste and board game loans! This is also the best place to stay in Tokyo with a baby because you can reserve a baby-friendly room that includes gear like a baby bath tub, toddler potty seat, baby toys, high chair, feeding set and more.
The Hatchobori location is a great choice for all-around convenience. It’s just a 15 minute walk to Tokyo Station, and the even-closer Hatchobori Station is on the same line as the Tokyo Disney Resort – perfect if you want to avoid changing hotels. If we were planning our trip again, I’d strongly consider this hotel instead of the Hyatt Regency for its central location.
The Ueno East location is great for visiting Tokyo with a family because you can walk to the lovely namesake park, which is home to the zoo. The Ueno Station provides excellent connections to the rest of the city since it is served by multiple subway companies and offers a quick connection to Tokyo Station. It’s also really close to the station served by the Narita International Airport train, making for a quick fuss-free arrival.
Hotel Gajoen
If you’re looking for a peaceful refuge from the overload of Tokyo, consider Hotel Gajoen in Meguro. The hotel was suggested by a member of our Facebook group who loved her stay there! We visited the Meguro neighborhood twice during our family trip to Tokyo because it was such a lovely area.
The rooms at Hotel Gajoen are enormous – they start at 750 square feet! There are plenty of choices that will accommodate a family of four. There’s plenty of opportunity to find tranquility thanks to the “living lobby” as well as the beautiful outdoor garden on the hotel premises.
While Meguro isn’t as central as the other locations above, that doesn’t mean it’s inconvenient: the hotel is just a three minute walk from the robust Meguro Station, which gives you access to all of Tokyo’s major subway lines. It’s also really close to Shinagawa Station, which is the transfer point for a day trip to Hakone or the long-distance train to cities further south like Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima.
If you’re visiting during cherry blossom season, the gorgeous lights along the Meguro riverwalk will be the highlight of every evening. This would be a great location to settle into if you plan a longer visit to Tokyo.
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Find out morePark Hyatt Tokyo
If you dream of staying at a luxury hotel in Tokyo, put the Park Hyatt Tokyo at the very top of your list. It’s the hotel featured in “Lost in Translation” and the only thing most guests don’t love about it is the price tag.
Surprisingly, and thankfully, the Park Hyatt Tokyo allows you to book their spacious rooms for 5 people. Since the hotel sits atop a 52-story tower, you’re guaranteed amazing views of the surrounding Shinjuku neighborhood and beyond – all the way to Mount Fuji from some rooms. This is also one of the best family hotels in Tokyo that offers an indoor pool, so it could be a great choice for summer visits when kids may fade quickly in the heat and humidity.
Like the Hyatt Regency Tokyo that’s just across the park, you could book this hotel by transferring points earned on your Chase Sapphire Preferred card. As a Category 7 hotel, it’s a steep 25,000-35,000 points per night for a standard room. But friends who have stayed there report that it’s worth the splurge, especially if you have Hyatt’s top-tier Globalist status and can take advantage of free breakfasts, suite upgrades and potential a free night certificate.
Sunshine City Prince Hotel
The Sunshine City Prince Hotel gets high marks from families in our Facebook group, and it has family rooms that can accommodate up to 9 people. That’s surely record-breaking, and amazing if you’re visiting Tokyo with a large family. That said, some of the rooms are very compact while the Japanese family suites and Japanese Western rooms are very spacious rooms. Generally the higher floor rooms are nicer and more updated, while rooms on the lower floors are more basic.
The appeal of this hotel is that it’s directly connected to the amazing Sunshine City complex in Ikebukuro. Sunshine City offers a huge range of entertainment for kids and you can access it all without going outside, making it a perfect fallback for rainy days (which you’re almost sure to encounter at least once unless you visit in winter). Some of the cool options include a Pokémon Center and Pikachu Sweets, an aquarium, a planetarium, an observation deck that doubles as an indoor garden, an “only in Japan” theme park, a theater, arcades and more – plus tons of restaurants and convenience stores to choose from.
Some parts of Ikebukuro – notably on the west side of the JR station – have a bit of a seedy reputation. But there’s really no need to go to that side and it isn’t unsafe, just more “adult”.
Best family hotels near Tokyo Disneyland
We didn’t visit Tokyo Disneyland on our first family trip to Japan but we can’t wait to experience it next time we go! Whether you choose to stay right near Tokyo Disneyland or in central Tokyo depends in part on how many days you’ll spend at the Tokyo Disney resort and also whether you’ll visit during your time in Tokyo or tack it on to the end of your trip after traveling around the country.
If you’re only going to visit Disneyland or DisneySea for one day, consider staying at Mimaru Tokyo Hatchobori. I discussed this chain of ultra family friendly hotels above, but the great thing about the Hatchobori location is that you can be at the Tokyo Disneyland station in under 30 minutes and the Tokyo DisneySea station in under 40 minutes. That’s completely doable and saves you from having to change hotels in Tokyo!
For families who plan to spend two days at the Tokyo Disney theme parks or will visit them separately from the rest of their time in Tokyo, it definitely makes sense to stay at an on-site official Disney hotel option rather than one of the other Tokyo Bay hotels. Why? Because Tokyo Disney has a monorail that makes a loop around the theme parks and official hotels in just 13 minutes!
By contrast, some of the “off property” Tokyo Bay hotels require an hour to get to Tokyo Disney using transit despite their proximity. Most families don’t want to bring a car seat and pay for a taxi, so being in a monorail hotel makes a lot more sense and will save you a huge amount of time.
Hilton Tokyo Bay
If you’re looking for a Western-style hotel room near Disneyland, go for the Hilton Tokyo Bay. It has an excellent location a short walk from the monorail stop and nice-sized, high quality rooms.
You can opt for a normal room or they offer several themed room options – that’s fairytale-inspired “Happy Magic” above and futuristic “Celebrio” below. You also have the option of family rooms with a bunk bed, family suites and more. Rooms are also distinguished by having either a park or ocean view.
Beyond the great location, one of the other awesome family-friendly amenities at the Hilton Tokyo Bay is the seasonal outdoor pool – perfect when you need to decompress after time at the theme parks! There’s also a heated indoor pool that’s available year-round, but (as with many hotel pools in Tokyo) there’s a fee to use it.
The Hilton Tokyo Bay is also a stop for the Limousine Bus, which is a convenient and affordable way to get to/from Narita International Airport. It’s the perfect option if you’ll visit Tokyo Disney at the beginning or end of your trip!
Planning your trip to Tokyo with kids
This roundup of the best family hotels in Tokyo should give you a great jumpstart to your Japan family trip planning! Be sure to read the helpful articles below to plan the rest of your visit:
- Buy your Japan Rail Pass
- Things to do in Tokyo With Kids: Itinerary for 4 Days of Old and New
- Essential Japan Itinerary: 10 Days of Family-Friendly Travel
- Visiting Kyoto With Kids: 2+ Day Itinerary + Must-Read Travel Tips
- Best Family Hotels in Kyoto
- 9 Tips for Japan Travel You Can’t Afford To Miss
- What to Pack for Japan in Spring (and What to Leave at Home)
- Best Things to do in Japan With Kids: A Kid’s Take
- Awesome Pokémon Things to do in Japan
- Visiting the A-Bomb Sites in Hiroshima with Kids
- 10 Japan Cultural Activities & Attractions For Your Bucket List
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