In April, minimalist dream store Muji is opening its first hotel in Japan, the company’s home country. The hotel, located in the Ginza neighborhood of Tokyo on top of Muji’s global flagship store (which also includes two Muji restaurants!), is the best advertisement for the retailer’s products yet.
It’s a radical way of thinking about advertising, especially for a company that has a “no label” ethos and hasn’t run traditional ad campaigns since the company launched in 1980. Instead of slapping its name on its products or shoving ads in people’s faces, Muji wants to invite customers to the Muji Hotel to experience the “anti-brand” lifestyle it’s selling.
The hotel includes 79 rooms of different sizes and arrangements, ranging from rooms with twin or bunk beds to more spacious open layouts that include reading nooks and sitting areas. The rooms ooze coziness, with wood furniture, floors, and walls, as well as a plethora of recycled materials including old paving stones that once were part of Tokyo’s trolley system.
Each room is completely outfitted with Muji products and furniture, down to the toothpaste and cotton swabs. Visitors can also rent items like an iron, an adapter, nail clippers, and a scale, all of which are made by Muji as well. It’s an easy way to fully immerse yourself in Muji’s brand of minimalism–and of course, if there are any items you cannot live without, you can simply pop down to the Muji store to pick one up before you check out.
Prices range from $135 per night for the smallest rooms (about 155 square feet) to $271 per night for midrange rooms (about 260 square feet). The largest room, which is 560 square feet, costs $507 per night. These prices are comparable to three- and four-star hotels in the neighborhood.
Along with the hotel, store, and restaurants, the Muji complex also features two galleries, an event space, a library, and a salon where the company serves coffee and drinks.
Muji Hotel Ginza officially opens April 4, and online reservations are available now.
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