BnA Hotel Koenji

If you’re looking to explore the artistic side of Japan, the BnA Hotel chain may help you do just that. As an ambitious art hospitality project, BnA Hotel aims to support Japanese artists while providing a unique and unforgettable experience of "staying in an art piece" in Japan. Designed as a mutually beneficial ecosystem to both artists and art-lovers, BnA brought to life independent art hotel rooms, where artists receive a share of the profits from each room booking, and visitors get the chance to live inside a functional work of art.

Top Tips
• Starting out life as two proof-of-concept rooms on AirBnB, BnA is now a wildly hotel chain breathing life back into Japan’s art scene. The branch of BnA that calls Koenji home houses two wildly creative rooms that would delight any art aficionado looking to live inside artwork. While the rooms look completely different to one another, they are both very well appointed and would make a comfortable homebase for anyone looking to explore Tokyo.
• It is worth noting that because there are only two rooms at BnA Hotel Koenji (both being very popular amongst locals and visitors), we recommend booking the room well in advance of your stay. Other than that, it is also worth keeping in mind that because there is no capacity for extra beds in the rooms, the hotel is more suitable for singles or travelling couples. That being said, children are more than welcome to stay (those under 6 can even stay for free).
• During your stay, make sure to check out the FrontDesk that acts as both a literal check-in point for guests as well as a hub for local artists to “check in” with one another and share ideas. These artists can also choose to participate in the art exchange program, where botched works that might otherwise go straight in the trash are taken in and distributed back into the community. In an effort to support the small businesses of Koenji, the café sources its food from local vendors.
• The piece de resistance of this branch of the BnA Hotel chain has to be it’s neighbourhood, Koenji. Just a short train ride from Shinjuku, Tokyo’s star neighborhood is an epicentre of alternative youth culture with an expanding creative scene. Home to Tokyo’s punk scene in the 1970’s, this neighbourhood is more on the mature edgy end of the spectrum compared to the younger, more hipster parts of Tokyo. Koenji is a paradise for cheap eats, onsens, underground bars and vintage shops, so even if you’re on a tight budget, you’re sure to enjoy your stay in this retro neighbourhood.
• If you’re hoping to explore greater Tokyo during your stay, you’ll be happy to hear that the BnA Hotel Koenji is just a 2 minute walk from Koenji train station. From there it’s only short train rides to Shinjuku, Asagaya, Ogikubo, and Nishi-Ogikubo. While taxis are widely available in the city, subways and trains are the best way to get around Tokyo. Whatever transport you decide to use, a prepaid Suica or Pasmo cards, which can be bought for as little as Y1,000 at subway stations or the airport, are the best ways to pay for your fare. Pro tip: Before you leave Japan, you can bring the used card to a ticket office and they will refund the deposit, minus a small service charge.

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