One of the great things about services like Airbnb, which help travelers and independent lodging owners find each other, is that they let guests find exactly the type of accommodations they want. For example, you might not have any need for the business center or room service of a traditional hotel. Maybe your personal checklist instead includes laundry facilities, a kitchen, and a full complement of awesome Super Mario interior accents.
If so, this short-term apartment in Tokyo is just the place for your next stay in the capital.
It’s been a little over a year since Parker, an expat music producer and owner of the apartment, registered with Airbnb. Since then, he’s racked up a string of glowing reviews for the property, dubbed Mario World.
Usually, giving a home a name, like Monticello or Dove Cottage, seems to be the first step towards creating an atmosphere of poncey pretentiousness. That’s not the case here, though, as Parker’s Mario World, like the SNES platforming classic it shares much of its name with, is all about playful fun.
Located in Meguro, one of the more relaxed neighborhoods of downtown Tokyo, the apartment consists of a kitchen, living room, and bedroom. The couch converts into a second bed, and Parker says there’s enough space for up to five guests to share Mario World.
▼ The dedicated bedroom has a Princess Peach motif.
You might be wondering where Parker managed to buy all of these Mario-related knickknacks, but the answer is that in some cases he didn’t. The artistic Nintendo fan actually created or painted many of the pieces himself.
If you’re looking to cook your own food, there’s a pretty spacious kitchen by central Tokyo standards, equipped with a gas range and a Fire Flower, presumably as a backup in the unlikely case the burners go out.
There’s also a washing machine, where you can wash your overalls, red and green long-sleeved tees, and whatever other clothing you’ve brought with you.
While you’re waiting for your load of laundry to run, you can kill time with the Retron 5 video game console hooked up to the living room TV, which plays NES, Super NES, Game Boy, and Genesis/Mega Drive games.
And yes, even the bathroom and shower keep the theme going.
▼ The finest combination of Nintendo and the restroom since taking your Game Boy in with you when nature calls.
Really, the only thing missing is a giant pipe that you can slide down that takes you directly to the nearest train station. That’s not a deal-breaker, though, as Meguro Station, which is connected to the extremely convenient Yamanote loop line, as well as the Namboku and Mita subway lines and Meguro train line, is just an eight-minute walk away. Some satisfied customers even say Parker has been kind enough to meet them at the station and walk them back to the apartment, no doubt hopping over any bottomless pits or aggressive turtles they come across on the way.
If Mario World sounds like a realm you’d like to live in for a few days, reservations can be made here through Airbnb.
Related: Mario World Airbnb website
Images: Airbnb