ITmedia Japan (ねとらぼ) collaborated with online survey site VOICE NOTE (ボイスノート) to conduct a survey among Japanese women on June 25, 2025, to select the most cost-effective business hotel chains in Japan, which are convenient for business and travel, can reduce accommodation expenses and provide valuable services.
Observation on brand preferences of Japanese chain business hotels
This survey of Japanese women focused on factors such as "business hotel," "value for money," and "female-friendly" accommodations. While the sample size was relatively small and the results were based on a biased online survey, there's certainly some potential for distortion. However, it provides an opportunity to gain insights into business hotel accommodations in Japan. Which brands have you stayed at? How do you rank them?
- The largest number of chain brands have the greatest advantage: Toyoko INN and APA Hotel unsurprisingly occupy the top two positions. Toyoko INN features a refreshing design, free light breakfast, and female-friendly amenities, and is certainly more popular with women than the luxuriously designed APA Hotel brand.
- Affordable large baths and convenient facilities: Both Dormy Inn and Hotel Route-Inn offer large baths, popular with both men and women in Japan, free parking, and self-service laundry facilities. These facilities are especially attentive to female business travelers, and are also excellent for tourists.
- Mid-range star-rated hotels also have the advantage of cost-effectiveness: brands such as the Cangguang Hotels and Mitsui Garden Hotels can be considered mid-range star-rated hotels. They have a more luxurious atmosphere than ordinary Japanese business hotels, but on the premise of comparing cost-effectiveness, they are also cost-effective accommodation options suitable for tourists.
[TOP 29] Ranking of Japan's Most Cost-Effective Business Hotel Chains
| Ranking | Hotel Brand | Japanese name | Voting ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyoko Inn | 東横イン | 14.2% |
| 2 | APA Hotel | アパホテル | 13.6% |
| 3 | Dormy Inn | Dormy Inn | 9.2% |
| 4 | Row Sakura Hotel | ルートインホテルズ | 7.5% |
| 5 | Mitsui Garden Hotel | Mitsui ガーデンホテルズ | 5.8% |
| 6 | super hotel | スーパーホテル | 5.6% |
| 7 | JR-East Hotel Mets | JR East Japan Telecom | 4.4% |
| 8 | Comfort Hotel | コンフォートホテル | 4.2% |
| 9 | Washington Square Hotel | ワシントンホテルプラザ | 3.3% |
| 10 | R&B Hotel Washington | ワシントンR&Bホテル | 3.3% |
| 11 | Daiwa Rooney Hotel | ダイワロイネットホテルズ | 3.3% |
| 12 | Richmond Hotel | リッチモンドホテルズ | 3.3% |
| 13 | Vessel Hotel | ベッセルホテルズ | 2.5% |
| 14 | Hotel Select Inn | ホテルセレクトイン | 2.2% |
| 15 | AZ Hotel | AZホテル | 1.9% |
| 16 | Tokyu REI Hotel | Tokyu REI Hotel | 1.7% |
| 17 | Kuretake Inn | くれたけイン | 1.7% |
| 18 | HOTEL LiVEMAX | ホテルリブマックス | 1.4% |
| 19 | Guangmang Hotel | カンデオホテルズ | 1.4% |
| 20 | Solaria Hotel | ソラーレホテルズ | 1.4% |
| 21 | Mystays Hotel | ホテルマイステイズ | 1.4% |
| 22 | UNIZO HotelFour Points by Sheraton Express)* | ホテルユニゾ | 1.4% |
| 23 | JR West VIA INN | JR West Japan Telecom | 1.1% |
| 24 | HOTEL CROWN HILLS | ホテルクラウンヒルズ | 1.1% |
| 25 | Smile Hotel | スマイルホテル | 0.8% |
| 26 | Sotetsu FRESA INN | 相鉄フレッサイン | 0.6% |
| 27 | Hotel Gracery | ホテルグレイスリー | 0.6% |
| 28 | Hotel Alpha-One | ホテル・アルファ-ワン | 0.6% |
| 29 | WING International HotelKOKO HOTELS)* | Hotel Wing International | 0.6% |
- UNIZO Hotels: Marriott International, in partnership with international private equity firm KKR, acquired 14 Unizo hotels in May 2024, which will be gradually listed on the stock exchange.Four Points by Sheraton ExpressThe brand has become Marriott's mid-range business hotel portfolio.
- WING International Hotels: Polaris Holdings will merge KOKO HOTELS with three other brand groups, Hotel Wing and Tenza Hotel, in 2025.KOKO HOTELSAs a surviving brand, each location was renamed.
