Where do I start? Located a stone throw away from the station, off the bustling streets of lively and colourful Shimokita, Illi Shimokitazawa is definitely a gem.
Our unit 401 is a tastefully curated space, complete with extensive list of practical facilities and thoughtful amenities such as a full-length mirror, freshener spray for shoes and clothes, wardrobe space for coats, plenty of hangers, hooks and racks for storage, an old school turntable with lovely selections of records, a bluetooth speaker, ear plugs, sleep masks and even a Fujifilm instax mini with films. The kitchenette, tiny yet complete with cooking needs was one of our most hung-out spot where we make cups of pour over using its coffee beans, coffee grinder and V60 coffee dripper provided, while watching the sun rises through the huge windows. In the bathroom, baskets for clean and dirty laundry were provided, along with various types of drying racks (for clothings of all sizes), iron with ironing board, toothbrushes, mouthwash capsules and cotton buds. Though the shower room is a bit narrow, water pressure and temperature control was satisfying enough - high in pressure and hot in temperature, even in winter. Coming from a hot and humid tropical country, we were definitely grateful for its efficient heating system and humidifier in keeping us warm, hydrated and cozy throughout our stay. The self check-in procedure was done on the spot - incredibly easy and effortless too.
If we were to nitpick about something (it's like find a needle in a haystack), it would probably be the thickness of bath towels provided. This is just our personal preference but we do like thick and big bath towels. Another thing to note, our unit was spacious enough for our group of 4 adults, but we did find the need to sacrifice the walkway just for accessing to our 4 large luggages. That said, we loved every bit of our stay all in all.