Ageo Tobu Hotel

I’ve enjoyed staying here enough to come back twice. The station is right there, and after a day out the room is clean when you return. It’s small, but fine for sleeping, unless you’re planning to stay up for other reasons, if you know what I mean. The shower gets properly hot, and there’s a bathtub too. Staff are really friendly, even putting up with calls from my mom and my poor Japanese. Around the hotel you’ll find food, pachinko, a few shops, and a conbini. Omiya station is two stops away and has plenty to do. The room has Wi-Fi and a small TV, with Japanese channels and even paid programs. Ask at the front desk about the TV. I do wish the room had more power outlets and a big-screen TV, though.

The location is good.

You can hear the TV from the room next door because the rooms aren’t soundproofed. The bathroom has an old fixed hair dryer that’s awkward to use, and I think a replacement would make guests happier. The station connection is great, though.

The air conditioning was quiet and worked well, and being right by the station is a real advantage when there aren’t many hotels near Ageo Station. Still, the building and its facilities felt worn out. The old wall-mounted hair dryer had very weak airflow and was hard to use. The room doors take keys instead of card keys, and the key for room 413 was so hard to turn that I struggled every time I came back. At the front desk, they only told me all the rooms were like that and it would definitely open if I turned it slowly. That response was disappointing. I paid approximately 28,000 yen for two nights, and having to wrestle with the key in the hallway each night was frustrating and sad. I left feeling I’d paid just to sleep, with no enjoyment from the stay. It’s a shame they don’t seem to update the facilities.