Granbell Hotel Shinjuku

If your Tokyo fantasy is fashioned more in the style of Gasper Noé’s Enter the Void than a certain Sofia Coppola high-rise romance, the still somewhat seedy Kabukicho area in Shinjuku would be the place to be. During the day, the neighborhood is quiet and pleasantly retro, a rarity in this otherwise futuristic city, and once the sun goes down, the streets come alive with the neon signs of bars, pubs, late-night eateries and other businesses that seem to get busier as the sky darkens. It’s the perfect setting for a hotel with just a little bit of an edge, which is where Granbell Hotel Shinjuku fits in.

Though only a stone’s throw away from the shanties of Golden Gai, Granbell Hotel is anything but. Opened in December 2013, the hotel was designed with the help of a handful of artists and creative directors from both Japan and elsewhere; and the resulting style is thoroughly contemporary. Space in the standard rooms is a bit tight, but the clean, compact design and the thoughtful lighting fixtures make it feel cozy rather than claustrophobic. Meanwile some of the “Loft” rooms, with their11-foot ceilings, come with a private terraces, a rarity in Tokyo. The Executive Rooms offer a sweeping view of the Shinjuku skyline, and many of them have a stylish soaking tub by a window, too. And even if you don’t have much of a view in the room, there’s the rooftop bar and terrace — another bit of rarity in Tokyo. It’s open until four in the morning, so you can count on it for drinks, casual bites and far-ranging views, no matter your jet-lag situation.