Super Detailed Review of MUJI Hotel Ginza: Rooms

MUJI Hotel Ginza Room Layout

This is the review of Room E. 

There are 10 different room types at MUJI Hotel Ginza. I stayed at Room E, which was a narrow 35m² room with a disproportionately long hallway that connected the entrance to the bedroom.

A bathroom, toilet, and a closet were neatly nested to the left of the narrow hallway. At the end of the hall is your room that has a small office area and a slightly raised area furnished with MUJI tatami, on which you have a couch and a TV, and two beds by the window.

As you can see, the room is narrow and small, which is unlikely as a hotel room. It is because the building was originally designed as a commercial/office facility. To convert it to a hotel, MUJI faced unique challenges including narrowly compartmentalized spaces and a lack of adequate noise control system. But maybe because MUJI has track records leveraging small space to create an unbelievably cozy and relax environment (read about MUJI house and MUJI hut), the room felt very comfortable. It was so much so that I thought the narrow and small room layout was on purpose. (The story behind the renovation is available via the website of the construction company. Japanese only.) It’s also notable that they did a great job enhancing noise control. Although the place is in the middle of busy central Tokyo, it felt very quiet.

The narrow hallway takes you to the bedroom.
The floor had smooth and soothing texture and looked be nara (Japanese oak),
but I am not certain.

Probably the most important part of this room was the narrow hallway that led to the room. Walking through it, (which could be dark if the lights are off), functioned something like Alice’s rabbit hole: it can lead you to “another world” that is secluded from the outside world. If you really try to find some Zen spirit in MUJI, this hallway was also like “nijiri guchi,” a very small, low-hanging entry attached to a chashitsu, a tea ceremony room or hut that is designed to prepare guests to dive into a new world of tea ceremony. Chashitsu is the ultimate small architecture designed to take visitors to an infinite universe of their inner world. It has all the essential elements Zen design or wabi sabi art is all about. 

Experience MUJI mattress at MUJI Hotel Ginza

I was also helped by MUJI’s iconic mattress to sleep so comfortably. Although it looks pretty thin and placed on a hard wooden board, it did not affect your sleep at all.

As a matter of fact, MUJI’s mattress is one of its best selling products. Supported by science, it has reputation to offer comfortable sleeping environment. In terms of design and functionality, it offers flexibility and versatility. MUJI’s mattress comes in different sizes to which attach/detach legs easily. Depending on the room or situation, you can use it as a bed, Japanese futon (like shown in this picture.) or as a couch/day bed.