Godzilla’s greatest rival comes to challenge him for his Shinjuku crown.
Downtown Tokyo’s Hotel Gracery Shinjuku has a good location. It’s situated on the edge of the Shinjuku neighborhood’s Kabukicho section, providing easy access to Japan’s biggest nightlife quarter, but it’s also near many of Shinjuku’s more relaxed shopping and dining options, plus it’s very close to the extremely useful Shinjuku Station, with train and subway lines connecting quickly to just about every sightseeing attraction in the city center.
However, its biggest claim to fame, both figuratively and literally, is that it’s “the Godzilla hotel.”
Since the hotel’s opening in 2015, Godzilla himself has been popping out of the the building, with his head at the same height as it would be per his size in 1992’s Godzilla vs. Mothra. That’s not the only treat for kaiju fans, either. Step off the elevator on the 8th floor to enter the lobby, and you’ll find what almost feels like a mini museum, with Godzilla figurines, dioramas, and a movie poster retrospective on display.
However, a rival has arrived to challenge Godzilla for the Gracery Shinjuku kaiju crown, as the hotel recently added a special Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah room to its offerings, and that was what had brought us to the hotel this day.
The room is located on the 30th floor, the top floor of the hotel, where all of the elevator doors feature Godzilla artwork.
▼ This one is especially cool, because it looks like Godzilla is tearing the doors open every time an elevator comes.
Lining the hallway are production photos from films in the series…
…and it’s easy to tell when you’ve arrived at the Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah room, since in addition to this plaque…
…both combatants’ tails are depicted on the door.
▼ Even the room’s key card is unique.
So what’s waiting for you when you open the door?
Gigantic statues of Godzilla and King Ghidorah!
The two giant monsters glare at each other from across the room, their eight collective eyes showing that they’re ready for a fight…
…and to set the scene, there’s a scale cityscape being crushed under Godzilla’s feet, while Ghidorah soars above the buildings in the night sky.
Of course, you may find yourself wanting to strike fighting poses too.
To help you get in the mood and snap the perfect picture, the room includes a control panel with buttons you can press to play sounds of Godzilla and Ghidorah roaring or to add extra illumination to them.
The operations are explained in pamphlets provided in both Japanese and English.
On the other hand, if seeing Godzilla up-close has you thinking about what it would be like to direct a kaiju movie, the room includes props for that daydream too.
The theming extends to the cushions and tissue holder…
…and even into the bathroom, where the toilet and tub are surrounded by movie imagery and dialogue text.
Meanwhile, back down on the lobby level, in the Gracery Lounge cafe that can be used by hotel guests and non-guests alike, there’s a trio of Godzilla menu items currently on offer.
The art latte and art peach lemonade soda are tempting, but the most eye-catching of the bunch is the “Godzilla vs. Mothra Decisive Battle at Pancake Island.”
This edible throw-down features a chocolate Godzilla and Mothra atop a thick, black sesame-flavored pancake. The detail on the Godzilla is really impressive, and the chocolate has a surprising amount of weight to it too.
However, the dual nature of Godzilla is that while he’s awesome, he’s also kind of scary, right? That phenomenon manifests itself in these menu items too, as the Godzilla vs. Mothra Decisive Battle at Pancake Island is 3,300 yen (US$22.30) and the drinks 1,870 yen each, which are steep prices even by downtown Tokyo Hotel standards. And the Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah room? A one-night, two-person stay on a weekday will run about 140,000 yen, and the rate is, naturally, higher on weekends on holidays.
Still, there’s no denying that the room itself is very, very cool.
Related: Hotel Gracery Shinjuku
Photos ©SoraNews24
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