With approximately 340 people per square kilometre, Japan is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. It’s also in Japan where the first capsule hotel began, so it’s no surprise that most hotel rooms in the country are pretty small. Enter APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU, an apartment hotel chain that’s changing the travel accommodations game, especially for those travelling in groups.
Everything begins with a name, and here’s what MIMARU stands for: it’s a combination of み (mi), from the phrase みんな (minna), which means “everyone”, and まる (maru) of とまる (tomaru) – “to stay”. Hence, MIMARU hotel – a place where everyone can stay together – and here’s why you should consider booking a stay here the next time you visit Japan.
P.S.: We’ve got an exclusive discount code for you at the end of this article, so stick around!
In a country where hotel rooms run from 11-25sqm, HOTEL MIMARU stands out with their 35-98sqm spaces that can accommodate up to 10 guests. There are 2 series under the HOTEL MIMARU brand: APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU, which has studios and 1- to 2-bedroom apartments, and APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU SUITES, where all apartments come with 2 bedrooms.
Don’t let the mention of 1 bedroom put you off – all of the rooms come with at least 4 beds, and at least 35sqm of living space.
For instance, at MIMARU Tokyo Kinshicho, the Superior One-Bedroom Apartment for 6 measures in at a whopping 58sqm, with 2 single beds, 2 loft beds, 2 futons, and can accommodate 2 children under the age of 6, alongside 6 adults.
And if you book the Connecting Japanese Apartment at MIMARU Tokyo Akasaka, you could house 8 adults and 4 kids in an 80sqm-large room, with 2 bathrooms and 2 powder rooms, so there won’t be any fighting for the toilet.
Meanwhile, at MIMARU SUITES Tokyo Nihombashi, a Two-Bedroom Family Suite accommodates up to 6 adults and 2 children, with 2 single beds, 2 loft beds, and 2 futons in a generous 57-59sqm apartment.
Image credit: APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU
With so many people in your travel party, especially if you’ve got kids in tow, finding places to eat at can be a challenge. This is why every MIMARU room is equipped with a kitchen and dining area, plus all the basic appliances and utensils you’ll need to get a meal going.
Plus, at selected MIMARU properties, you’ll even have your very own washing machine/dryer in the room, so you won’t have to step out to use the coin laundry. And yes, if the property you’re staying at doesn’t come with in-room laundry, there will be coin-operated machines within the building.
What makes this chain of apartment hotels extra family-friendly is their provision of diaper pails, baby chairs, and children’s tableware, which you can loan for free from the front desk on a first-come-first-served basis. They’ve got cribs for rental too, if your little one isn’t co-sleeping with you or having their own bed.
Image credit: APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU
Baby facilities aside, the Pokémon-themed rooms at APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU are what you’ll want to put on your list if you have any fans of Pokémon in the fam, or are one yourself. These rooms can be found in 10 Hotel Mimaru properties:
You’ll literally be surrounded by super cute Pokémon everywhere you turn – catch ‘em on the walls, floors, ceilings, and even sitting on your bed.
Even mealtimes promise to be extra fun, with Poké Ball crockery stocked in the kitchen, where more of the adorable creatures are staked out to watch as you whip up a feast.
Image credit: APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU
Check out with more than just memories and photographs of your stay at the Pokémon-themed rooms – every booking comes with a set of novelty Pokémon bags, with 5 hidden Pokémon for you to spot.
Image credit: APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU
Of course, not everyone is a fan of Pokémon, but that’s okay, because HOTEL MIMARU has a whole series of other themed rooms that you can choose from. There’s their ninja-themed rooms with shuriken and kusarigama replicas, Ukiyo-e ninja art, and even scrolls teaching you the way of the legendary secret warriors.
Fun fact: these rooms were designed in collaboration with the Japan Ninja Council, so you know the stuff on display is legit.
Image credit: APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU
Another themed room that will have you and your group of friends sleepless through the night is
MIMARU Osaka Namba Station’s Werewolf Murder Mystery Room, where up to 13 people can gather to play the game.
Image credit: APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU
There’s a Ghost Room within the apartment where eliminated players can hang out, and a Meeting Room for clandestine discussions to be held. Let’s not forget the mood lighting and props provided to get everyone in the spirit of the game.
Board game room at MIMARU Osaka Namba Station.
Image credit: APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU
For something more suited to families with young children, MIMARU Osaka Namba Station has a Board Game Room for families of up to 5. Beyond the board games this room is named for, there’s a slide for your mini-me’s to jump on, a wall-mounted ball maze that you can customise for endless fun, train tracks, and building block sets.
Should the board game room be booked out, there are more than 130 board games in the lobby that you can borrow during your stay – the concierge, when they’re on duty, will be able to teach you the games if you aren’t familiar with them too.
Image credit: APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU
Leaving Japan without having at least 1 sushi meal is almost criminal – and at MIMARU Tokyo Ueno Okamachi, you can stay in a Premium Family Apartment that’s got its very own sushi counter. If you have the contacts who can help you do so, you can hire a sushi chef to serve up an omakase meal to your group, of up to 8 guests, in your very own hotel room.
If you’re booking this room, you might as well put on some sushi chef whites and be your fam’s very own @pov_husband, since the room comes with a rice cooker, sushi counter and all that.
One might imagine that having so many guests in the room for an extended period means some level of mess is expected. Don’t worry, because unlike if you were to stay at a rented apartment, APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU provides housekeeping services, albeit not daily like at a hotel.
What does get refreshed daily are your face and bath towels, as well as bath mats. Your room will also get vacuumed every day. The housekeeping staff will do a more thorough clean on the 3rd day of your stay, and every 2 days thereafter – they’ll help to refresh the entire apartment, including the bathrooms, and make the beds for you too. Do note that the only area they will not tidy is the kitchen.
Lest you think that with such smashing perks, there must be a catch somewhere – like being located in some far-off place, we’re here to tell you that’s a negative on that front. Every APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU property is situated approximately 3 minutes away from the closest train station, making them incredibly accessible.
To be precise, you’ll take an average of 3.1 minutes to get to your MIMARU property on foot in Tokyo, 2.8 minutes in Osaka, and 2.7 minutes in Kyoto. Besides being good bases for you to explore each city on foot, you’ll also find local konbini and drugstores within a stone’s throw of every hotel.
Image credit: APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU
Even though all the APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU properties are super accessible, it’s still undeniably a hassle to move around with all of your luggage, especially if you have young kids, strollers and all that’s involved.
So, you’ll be happy to know that they have luggage forwarding services – chargeable of course – and luggage storage, so you can leave your baggage there before and after your check-in and check-out times.
MIMARU has 27 properties across Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, which, if we’re being honest, are pretty much the top destinations in Japan for every Singaporean who heads there. Whether you’re travelling with family or friends, put this apartment hotel on your list for extra space, bonding and fun.
With that, consider your upcoming September, December, March and June holiday accommodations sorted, as APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU is extending an exclusive discount of 5% off all room bookings with the code <MIMARU_TSL> when you make a booking on the MIMARU official website between 4th September-4th November 2025. This discount is valid for all stays from 4th September 2025-4th June 2026.
That’s on top of the 10% discount that you’ll get if you sign up to be a MIMARU member and book your room through the official website. You’ll also receive loyalty points for every stay, which you can redeem for future bookings.
This post was brought to you by APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU.
Cover image adapted from: APARTMENT HOTEL MIMARU
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