Toco. Tokyo Heritage Hostel

Run by a bunch of East Tokyo hipsters, this converted 1920s townhouse offers the sense of staying in a traditional Japanese home at backpacker hostel prices. Then again, you might struggle to find a traditional Japanese home that came equipped with its own bar lounge, like Toco. does. This cosy, smoke-free drinking den – also frequented by locals – is one of the hostel's biggest draws, and should make the guesthouse's cramped bunk-bed dormitories (from ¥2,600 per person) and private rooms (from ¥6,000 per room) feel a little more bearable. Be warned that, while there's no curfew, the lights get switched off at midnight each night.