This hotel is conveniently adjacent to the Higashi-Shinjuku subway station, or a 15 minutes walk (5 minutes in a taxi) from the main Shinjuku station. If you are not accustomed to it, Shinjuku station is a confusing maze of exits, shops and underground passages- a bit daunting for first timers. So, unless you feel particularly challenged to navigate the matrix, either get another train to Higashi-Shinjuku station or jump in a cab for the ride to get your bearings on the layout of the main streets above ground.
My room was small, but very comfortable fitted with a great mattress, shower and toilet room, clothing rack, TV, refrigerator, LAN plug in internet access, telephone, desk and tea making tray. In the shower, shampoo, conditioner, soap and face soap were supplied along with a toiletries set of the standard razor, brush and toothbrush set.
The 2nd floor has 2 sets of washer-dryers for guests to use that cost a few coins each and take around 30 minutes per cycle. There is no change machine or detergent for sale in the laundry room, so you need to plan ahead. There are vending machines serving some Japanese foods, beer and soft drinks on every other floor. There is also a meeting room which can be booked at the front desk.
This is also not a bad area to position yourself if you like to get out and exercise everyday. If you walk 2 minutes (exit right) toward Ikebukuro and turn right at the next large intersection, there is the medium sized “Toyama” neighborhood park on the left side of the street. I found it perfect as a part of a 30 minute morning walk. From the park entrance, following the longest path, I walked down and bore right while enjoying views of the trees, flower beds. There is also a small kids park here with a swing set and climbing frame if you are looking for a break for your kids. The path then continues up a small hill until the park gate just before a residential street. There are some small dogs off leads, but the old park is charming as you will pass others out exercising and old-timers sat on benches chatting or following the radio taiso morning stretching routine.
Overall, the hotel was conveniently located, the room was very quiet (little noise from the street below) and the room was very comfortable to spend a night in. There is ample information in English to help you navigate the room and the staff is very courteous, helpful and speak English well. The rooms are narrow, however, so you may want to leave any large bags at the front desk. The Shinjuku area around the hotel has ample eating and drinking choices nearby and you are only a 10 minute walk from the main nightlife and shopping district. There is a Chinese restaurant on the first floor of the hotel and a Royal Host family restaurant which offers basic meals and a breakfast buffet ticket can be purchased at the front desk for around $10 (¥1,000).
The Higashi-Shinjuku SunRoute is a consistent and reliable choice to set yourself up in to enjoy an interesting and lively area of Tokyo.
