Hotel Meguro Emperor – Was the hype worth it?
If you have ever fallen down the rabbit hole of searching for crazy love hotels in Japan, it is almost certain that a castle-shaped love hotel in Tokyo was included. From the outside, the hotel has turrets and stands out from the surrounding buildings. Located in Gotanda, the hotel is next to a river and offers guests a chance to stay within walking distance of the Yamanote line, which provides a gateway to Tokyo’s highlights and most visited spots, like the famous Shibuya scramble crossing. I, too, had seen the Meguro on many lists, “Insane love hotels” or “Love hotels you won’t believe exist”.
Whilst planning my Pokémon Go fest trip, I was searching for a hotel that offered easy access to central Tokyo and the park areas for the event. As usual, when searching for in Tokyo, the choices were extremely limited. Outside of Tokyo and major cities, it is normal to pay around 8000-10000 yen for a decent-sized room, which is slightly above the standard tier. However, for Tokyo, most standard rooms with no thrills start at around 15000. During my search, I noticed a familiar-shaped hotel on the options on Booking.com, shaped like a castle, and for the lower end of 15000 a night (I have seen nights at Tokyo love hotels for over 120k a night), I decided it was time to check out the Meguro.
For location, I give a 7; the hotel is located by the river, and the closest stop is Gotanda. The walk, however, is down a hill, which, when reversed, is quite steep. It is near a few bus stops located downhill from it. The area is quite for Tokyo, and the river is pretty at night.
For ease of access, the hotel can be booked on major booking sites such as Booking.com and Couples.jp. For those looking to walk in, there is the usual check-in board, but despite the castle appearance, the check-in board is old-style, where you push the button on the room you want and go to it. The images on the board do not say much about what you are getting for your money. I will award an 8 for this category for a total of 15. The website has better images, so you could check ahead and make a note of the rooms you like.
The first thing I noted when heading to my room was that the hotel was more “Showa” or dated than I was expecting. The room I got was a decent size for Tokyo; it had a retro vibe and had a small steam room built in. Things in the room were clean, but it was clear the hotel was ageing, and there was a lot of wear and tear. The bed was large, and there was a sofa. The bathroom was small, and there were two sinks outside for some reason, one in the room itself and one in the bathroom area. The slanted roof gave off a French vibe. I will give a 7 for comfort and cleanliness for a total of 22.
As for amenities, the lobby had nothing, but the room came with the basics needed for the usual love hotel motto of come empty-handed. Extras could be requested via the phone, but overall, I give a 6, taking the score to 28. For those also interested in how many blades the razor head has, it was two, which is standard. I was unable to try the food in the hotel, so the usual 5 will be added for 33.
The newest category, which has shaken up the overall rankings, is bath size. For me, who often books these places because of their huge bathtubs, saunas or power showers, size matters. At home, my apartment has the typical cube-sized “bath” that you can stand in, but not enjoy a relaxing bath in. For many, coming to a love hotel with a hot tub or a big bath is a luxury; these stays become something close to a resort experience. Many love hotels use the word resort in their names. The bath in the Meguro was sadly small, so I awarded a 6 for 39. The new category was an important recent addition, and you can find an updated hotel ranking chart pinned to the blog page. I revisited my review for every hotel and added the new score. For me, the primary reason for booking these places is the experience they offer, which can include open-air bath, jacuzzi, hot tub, jet bath, stone bath, steam room, power showers, foam showers, mist showers, sauna and even traditional onsen wooden baths. It felt important to add a category for bathing options. So, all scores are now out of 80.
For overall enjoyment, I award a 7 for the score of 46. The room was a nice space for Tokyo, and the bed was comfortable. There wasn’t much that stood out in the room, though. The bath was small, the steam room was a bonus, but I didn’t get time to use it. For a hotel so often included on multiple love hotel lists for being crazy, I felt the hotel was dated and standard; no room really stood out. The room, excluding the steam room, could very well have been a medium non-Tokyo-sized business hotel. For the price paid, I felt like I didn’t get anything for it, but this is most likely because I have been spoiled by love hotels in southern Japan, where space is abundant. For a Tokyo hotel, this room was above average, and I had space to change into my cosplay.
Finally, likely to return receives a 6 for a final score of 52/80. The hotel was a good size, and the location was nice, but nothing truly stood out. The hype fell flat, and the excitement of this hotel, shaped like a castle, wore off very quickly as the rooms inside did not carry the castle theme. My room felt European, and whilst one could argue the castle is European style, the room I got was more like a small apartment somewhere in southern Paris. Whilst I enjoyed ticking the Meguro off, if prices were lower elsewhere and more options available, I would book a different hotel to try something new.
