BnA Hotel - Koenji on Postcard

"BnA HOTEL Koenji is the coolest hotel in all of Tokyo. Located in one of the city’s hippest streets lined with vintage clothing shops, Koenji is removed from the chaos that goes down in the center of the city. Instead, the location offers a lot of café joints, mom-and-pop stores and record shops. Back in the ‘70s, Koenji was home to Japan’s punk scene; and since early 2016, it’s been home to a boutique unlike any others in Tokyo."

These are the 7 Best Boutique Hotels in Tokyo

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@cntraveler

"How did it strike you on arrival?In a city with actual robot hotels, an “art hotel” might seem blasé. But BnA Hotel (which stands for the Bed & Art Project) has a mission beyond hogging a permanent collection. As Tokyo's real estate costs verge on stratospheric, small art galleries feel the pressure—BnA’s concept is dual-purpose, creating a space for traveling art-lovers to sleep while supporting the hotel’s rotating art exhibitions from local artists. Nice. What’s the crowd like?With only two hotel rooms, the bulk of the crowd won't be fellow guests, but rather hip locals and travelers at the bar or browsing the gallery. The good stuff: Tell us about your room.Both rooms are pieces of art themselves. With two double beds, Art Room 2 was a blank canvas for artist Ryuichi Ogino. His design, a zigzag of black and white stripes, runs across the walls, bedspreads, floors, and pillows—and radiate from the overhead neon light in concentric circles. You've booked yourself a piece of art, and now you're sleeping in it. We’re craving some deep, restorative sleep. They got us?It's a cozy piece of art. Really. Staff: If you could award one a trophy, who gets it, and why?It's a convenient thing, having a room just above a bar—especially when the bartender is as friendly and conversational as this one. Anything stand out about other services and features? Whether it’s childcare, gyms, spas, even parking—whatever stuck with you.While there are only two rooms at the moment, owners plan to branch out into the neighborhood by opening Airbnb-style bookings designed by local artists that allow travelers to mingle with the community. For now, at least, it helps that its default flagship is located in Koenji, a buzzy young neighborhood full of creative boutiques (think secondhand shops, record stores, and hipster bars). Bottom line: worth it, and why?Hoping to make an investment in local art communities around the world? Go ahead and sleep on it." - Keith Flanagan

BnA Hotel Koenji

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Lulu T

Google

Unbeatable trendy Koenji location right next to the station (6 mins to Shinjuku! Right next to Nakano!), fun interconnected artsy nightlife, a downstairs bar (it doesn't run all nights, but there are pop-up events if you're lucky!) and an artistic hotel room of inspiration. I stayed in the beautiful room 'Ten'. When I wasn't meeting Japanese and international artist visitors at the bar, I read and drew at the desk upstairs (they provided some pencils and notepaper which was fun) and as such felt more connected to the art beat of Japan. Even if you simply want to chill in your room, it's a relaxing atmosphere. Koenji also has a great music scene to check out in the night-time, so check out the art/music/record shop/fashion/mural spot recommendations mentioned by local bar goers or in the hotel manual. The bar staff at bar FRONTDESK were kind, professional and welcoming. Here, you can meet many artists organically at pop-up bar events and never feel like you are intruding on a private party. Very inclusive, funky atmosphere, little treasures of wall-art to be found on the walls. I think some new artwork popped up in the hall during my stay too, which shows that the place is frequented and always artistically evolving. I love the zine-scene in Australia and this place mirrored that DIY feel. loved this hotel and it became a place I'd recommend to all my art/zine/sketch loving buddies who stay in Japan. Felt right at home. ☆

Christina Purington, MSW

Google

Cool room, the bar/venue wasn't active while I stayed (for about a week), so that was a bit disappointing as it was one of the selling points but no big deal. The small elevator isn't usable for people as it's used for storage, but there is enough room where you can use it to bring bags up/down to your room. Stairs are very steep. I slipped once, hitting the corner, and glad for catching the hand rails, or I would have hurt myself. Hosts were quick to respond when the door was stuck and gave good recommendations for music venues and other locations to check out in the area as well.

Fiona B

Google

On our last night in Tokyo my boyfriend and I wanted to stay in a different, less central neighborhood of Tokyo to get a different feel. We discovered BnA Hotel Koenji when searching for boutique hotels and loved that the rooms were decorated by artists and that part of the proceeds of the room revenue is donated to artists. ||We arrived around 2:45 on a Monday and were greeted by someone who may have been a cleaning person who was friendly but wouldn’t let us go to our room because “check-in wasn’t until 3pm.” Didn’t matter that we were 15 minutes from 3pm and no one was in the room, we had to leave and come back. It was pouring with rain and given that there isn’t a typical lobby where we could sit and wait we left feeling a bit weird. When we arrived back later that afternoon we were greeted by a woman who I assume works at the hotel and were shown our room. The art was awesome and we were impressed by the spaciousness and design of the room, and loved the wolf murals. The bathroom is pretty modern and there are tons of usb outlets for all your devices. ||We were a bit worried about the bar/dj situation in terms of noise but as it was a Monday night it was luckily quiet. It’s a little weird checking out of a hotel with an empty bar but it was pretty seamless. If you have an issue there’s a bell you can ring outside that I think is connected to a cell phone and someone can assist within a few minutes. ||The Koenji neighborhood is pretty cool, filled with tons of vintage shops and bars. The Koenji JR station is literally a two minute walk from the hotel and you can access Shinjuku and Tokyo station directly from the line at Koenji station. So easy! ||Overall this is a cool hotel for someone who is looking for more of a local experience in Tokyo while still being able to access more central areas easily and quickly with the nearby JR station.

Marianne F

Google

This is a great little hotel. We’ve been to Tokyo many times and we were looking for something different, not in the centre of town. The room was comfy, good size, enough room to keep suitcases out. The bar was nice and reasonably priced. The Koenji neighbourhood is cool and we went to a hotel recommended katsu place for dinner, it was delicious. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Overall very good. I recommend bringing eyepatches as the exit sign in the room was very bright.|

Martin Metcalfe

Google

This is a special place. Ignore the star rating, this is not an ordinary hotel. It has just 2 rooms with a fun bar/reception. My room with wolves rampaging around the walls is immaculate. Not much space for a suitcase but that is a minor point. Akira, the manager, is a delight mixing drinks at the bar and full of useful information. BnA is a venture to support new Japanese artists and those that create works in the rooms receive a percentage of the room rate - brilliant. Koenji is an interesting low-rise are with good places to eat and interesting shops. The area may look remote on the map but the subway connection is good. I cannot recommend it more highly.

Kasler

Google

Amazing location 2 minutes walk from Koenji Station which has excellent connections into Shinjuku and Tokyo Stations for the Narita express. Entrance is through a bar - no Reception Area. Only 2 rooms. We stayed in the first floor room. Whacky to the extreme but comfortable. Good shower and reasonably comfortable single beds. Unfortunately on our first night they had a party in the bar and the music was vibrating into the room. On top of that there are air conditioning units outside of the window which hum all night long. So if you need complete quietness to sleep don't stay here. There are lots of trendy restaurants nearby. The hotel "guide book" gives excellent recommendations. Give a particular shout for a tempura one where they serve tempura eggs - expect to queue - but worth it.

BedStuyTraveler9

Google

I loved the BnA hotel and really loved the Koenji neighborhood. The hotel is located right outside the subway stop, which was so nice - and the hotel was surprisingly quiet! ||||We had the room on the second floor - it was so cool to wake up to the brightly-colored mural every morning. The room was the perfect size for 2 people - it was small and there was no TV, but who cares about that?? We did not come to Koenji to sit in the room!||||The staff is very friendly and helpful and enthusiastic. Definitely hang out at the bar one night!!||||As far as Koenji goes, it is the best neighborhood in Tokyo! There are endless amounts of boutiques, vintage shops, restaurants and coffee shops - it was honestly hard to decide where to eat! Great yakatori spots and great craft beer bars! Japub was cool - they let people come in and DJ, which gave it a cool neighborhood vibe. My favorite boutique in Koenji was Kiki - definitely go check it out! ||||Overall, I LOVED BnA and loved Koenji - just a fun, young, hip, friendly place :)

Joe S

Google

The BnA Project is an incredible hub of creative activity in the Koenji neighborhood of Tokyo. There are few places in the city (and country) like it. The rooms, live-in pieces of art, leave you inspired and the bar downstairs offers a chance to meet the artists themselves over a beer or two. ||||If you're looking to exchange ideas, connect with fellow creatives and keep up with great events in the neighborhood, definitely check out BnA. Awesome staff who not only takes care of your stay, but adds to your experience in the neighborhood with recommendations, event invitations, introductions and more. Rooms are clean, well-furnished, and very spacious for Toyko with lots of light . ||||Highly recommend the BnA Project - you'll leave as not only a guest, but a friend as well.

Lulu T

Google

Unbeatable trendy Koenji location right next to the station (6 mins to Shinjuku! Right next to Nakano!), fun interconnected artsy nightlife, a downstairs bar (it doesn't run all nights, but there are pop-up events if you're lucky!) and an artistic hotel room of inspiration. I stayed in the beautiful room 'Ten'. When I wasn't meeting Japanese and international artist visitors at the bar, I read and drew at the desk upstairs (they provided some pencils and notepaper which was fun) and as such felt more connected to the art beat of Japan. Even if you simply want to chill in your room, it's a relaxing atmosphere. Koenji also has a great music scene to check out in the night-time, so check out the art/music/record shop/fashion/mural spot recommendations mentioned by local bar goers or in the hotel manual. The bar staff at bar FRONTDESK were kind, professional and welcoming. Here, you can meet many artists organically at pop-up bar events and never feel like you are intruding on a private party. Very inclusive, funky atmosphere, little treasures of wall-art to be found on the walls. I think some new artwork popped up in the hall during my stay too, which shows that the place is frequented and always artistically evolving. I love the zine-scene in Australia and this place mirrored that DIY feel. loved this hotel and it became a place I'd recommend to all my art/zine/sketch loving buddies who stay in Japan. Felt right at home. ☆

Christina Purington, MSW

Google

Cool room, the bar/venue wasn't active while I stayed (for about a week), so that was a bit disappointing as it was one of the selling points but no big deal. The small elevator isn't usable for people as it's used for storage, but there is enough room where you can use it to bring bags up/down to your room. Stairs are very steep. I slipped once, hitting the corner, and glad for catching the hand rails, or I would have hurt myself. Hosts were quick to respond when the door was stuck and gave good recommendations for music venues and other locations to check out in the area as well.

Fiona B

Google

On our last night in Tokyo my boyfriend and I wanted to stay in a different, less central neighborhood of Tokyo to get a different feel. We discovered BnA Hotel Koenji when searching for boutique hotels and loved that the rooms were decorated by artists and that part of the proceeds of the room revenue is donated to artists. ||We arrived around 2:45 on a Monday and were greeted by someone who may have been a cleaning person who was friendly but wouldn’t let us go to our room because “check-in wasn’t until 3pm.” Didn’t matter that we were 15 minutes from 3pm and no one was in the room, we had to leave and come back. It was pouring with rain and given that there isn’t a typical lobby where we could sit and wait we left feeling a bit weird. When we arrived back later that afternoon we were greeted by a woman who I assume works at the hotel and were shown our room. The art was awesome and we were impressed by the spaciousness and design of the room, and loved the wolf murals. The bathroom is pretty modern and there are tons of usb outlets for all your devices. ||We were a bit worried about the bar/dj situation in terms of noise but as it was a Monday night it was luckily quiet. It’s a little weird checking out of a hotel with an empty bar but it was pretty seamless. If you have an issue there’s a bell you can ring outside that I think is connected to a cell phone and someone can assist within a few minutes. ||The Koenji neighborhood is pretty cool, filled with tons of vintage shops and bars. The Koenji JR station is literally a two minute walk from the hotel and you can access Shinjuku and Tokyo station directly from the line at Koenji station. So easy! ||Overall this is a cool hotel for someone who is looking for more of a local experience in Tokyo while still being able to access more central areas easily and quickly with the nearby JR station.

Marianne F

Google

This is a great little hotel. We’ve been to Tokyo many times and we were looking for something different, not in the centre of town. The room was comfy, good size, enough room to keep suitcases out. The bar was nice and reasonably priced. The Koenji neighbourhood is cool and we went to a hotel recommended katsu place for dinner, it was delicious. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Overall very good. I recommend bringing eyepatches as the exit sign in the room was very bright.|

Martin Metcalfe

Google

This is a special place. Ignore the star rating, this is not an ordinary hotel. It has just 2 rooms with a fun bar/reception. My room with wolves rampaging around the walls is immaculate. Not much space for a suitcase but that is a minor point. Akira, the manager, is a delight mixing drinks at the bar and full of useful information. BnA is a venture to support new Japanese artists and those that create works in the rooms receive a percentage of the room rate - brilliant. Koenji is an interesting low-rise are with good places to eat and interesting shops. The area may look remote on the map but the subway connection is good. I cannot recommend it more highly.

Kasler

Google

Amazing location 2 minutes walk from Koenji Station which has excellent connections into Shinjuku and Tokyo Stations for the Narita express. Entrance is through a bar - no Reception Area. Only 2 rooms. We stayed in the first floor room. Whacky to the extreme but comfortable. Good shower and reasonably comfortable single beds. Unfortunately on our first night they had a party in the bar and the music was vibrating into the room. On top of that there are air conditioning units outside of the window which hum all night long. So if you need complete quietness to sleep don't stay here. There are lots of trendy restaurants nearby. The hotel "guide book" gives excellent recommendations. Give a particular shout for a tempura one where they serve tempura eggs - expect to queue - but worth it.

BedStuyTraveler9

Google

I loved the BnA hotel and really loved the Koenji neighborhood. The hotel is located right outside the subway stop, which was so nice - and the hotel was surprisingly quiet! ||||We had the room on the second floor - it was so cool to wake up to the brightly-colored mural every morning. The room was the perfect size for 2 people - it was small and there was no TV, but who cares about that?? We did not come to Koenji to sit in the room!||||The staff is very friendly and helpful and enthusiastic. Definitely hang out at the bar one night!!||||As far as Koenji goes, it is the best neighborhood in Tokyo! There are endless amounts of boutiques, vintage shops, restaurants and coffee shops - it was honestly hard to decide where to eat! Great yakatori spots and great craft beer bars! Japub was cool - they let people come in and DJ, which gave it a cool neighborhood vibe. My favorite boutique in Koenji was Kiki - definitely go check it out! ||||Overall, I LOVED BnA and loved Koenji - just a fun, young, hip, friendly place :)

Joe S

Google

The BnA Project is an incredible hub of creative activity in the Koenji neighborhood of Tokyo. There are few places in the city (and country) like it. The rooms, live-in pieces of art, leave you inspired and the bar downstairs offers a chance to meet the artists themselves over a beer or two. ||||If you're looking to exchange ideas, connect with fellow creatives and keep up with great events in the neighborhood, definitely check out BnA. Awesome staff who not only takes care of your stay, but adds to your experience in the neighborhood with recommendations, event invitations, introductions and more. Rooms are clean, well-furnished, and very spacious for Toyko with lots of light . ||||Highly recommend the BnA Project - you'll leave as not only a guest, but a friend as well.

BnA Hotel - Koenji

BnA Hotel - Koenji

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