Some people have argued that influencers should stop asking for free trips because hotels are suffering during Covid. On the other hand one Tokyo hotel has a formal program to offer anyone a free midweek room in exchange for a social media post of any kind. You don’t even have to call yourself an influencer.

The Hotel New Shohei in Shinjuku has empty rooms. Their bet is that social media posts are worth more than the marginal cost of cleaning an additional room.

To outshine everyone else, the Hotel New Shohei in Yotsuya, Shinjuku is offering rooms completely free. That’s right, you can snag a single room on weekdays with all the accommodation a paying customer gets, which includes complimentary coffee, tea and even beer or wine at the bar after 5pm.

Single Room, Credit: Hotel New Shohei

The offer applies to a single room, but if you’re in the area could be worth it just for the free drink.

Unfortunately they offer just a single night’s stay, and most people who are not residents of Japan cannot visit in any case. It’s one of the cities I can’t wait to eat in again.