Hotel Abest Aomori

It’s in a hard-to-find spot. I expected a large hotel, but it only occupies the fifth floor of the building, and it felt cramped. The front desk staff member had terrible bad breath, so I turned my face away. The Wi-Fi was fatally slow and unusable. I was in room 512, where a water leak made a dripping-water melody play 24 hours a day. If you’re sensitive to noise, you might not sleep without earplugs. It was awful. The wallpaper was peeling, and the place was dilapidated. I could even hear the morning weather girl’s conversation on the TV next door. I wish they’d tidy up the inside as well as the outside.

The hotel was decent. My double room had enough beds for my child, and although it wasn’t large, there was plenty of space to open a suitcase. I was surprised that the parking lot next door cost less than the hotel parking. I usually expect hotel parking to be cheaper.

I was traveling alone and stayed on August 6th. In July, I managed to get a room after someone canceled during the Nebuta Festival. Because it was festival time, the room-only, non-cancellable plan cost more than usual, 20,000 yen. That was still significantly cheaper than other hotels, so I booked right away. The hotel is quite old, but the room was clean. Toothbrushes and razors weren’t supplied in the room. You could buy them at reception for 50 yen each. There were no pajamas or comb either. The room did have bath towels, face towels, disposable slippers, a hairdryer, a toothbrush cup, tea, coffee cups, shampoo with conditioner, body soap, a refrigerator, an electric kettle, and a TV. There were no power outlets near the bed. I wish they provided nightwear, and they don’t offer luggage storage. There’s a Lawson about a two-minute walk away, and the location was very convenient for the Nebuta Festival. Aomori Station is around a five-minute walk. The sightseeing location is good, but the lack of luggage storage was disappointing, hence my two-star rating.

10,000 yen for a room without meals is far too expensive, and it makes me angry. The air conditioning is poorly adjusted throughout the building, the rooms are small at about 10 square meters, and the building is around 50 years old. It’s old enough that dirt is noticeable, and toothbrushes are charged separately. Hotel prices have both relative and absolute value, but on an ordinary weekday without events, I think this price should come with appropriate services or investment in improving the rooms. The gap between the cost and what you get is too large.