Hotel Sunroute Aomori

I was here on a business trip and had a comfortable stay. Hotel Sunroute Aomori is in a convenient location, the rooms were clean, and the staff were friendly. Good value for the price and a pleasant experience.

The staff were friendly, but I was disappointed after seeing the excellent ratings on trip.com. For Japan, the room was large, though the hotel itself feels dated and needs refurbishment. The bathroom is raised by more than a foot, which seems unsafe for children and older people. Water pressure was low, and the air conditioning wasn't reliable.

The east wing was dark and eerie at night, and the tattered private room beside mine added to the creepy feeling. The elevator smelled strongly of second-hand smoke and needs a deep clean and air purification. Air in my room was poor at first, too. The purifier stayed red until I ran it on maximum for an hour, and it was noisy, so I turned it off before sleeping. Service was attentive. My hairdryer was nearly useless, perhaps only suitable for short-haired men, but when I called the front desk in the middle of the night, they promptly brought another that worked a little better. The TV remote wasn't working and the “terrestrial digital” channel still couldn't be broadcast. An elderly staff member came up, crawled under the desk, and fixed the connection. When I mentioned the fridge humming loudly, he wheeled up a quieter replacement. That was dedicated service, though I'd rather see heavy lifting left to younger staff while senior staff focus on management and service. This place looks like it dates from the 1980s, perhaps one of the first seaside hotels here, with newer hotels built around it now. The low price fits how dated it feels. The main building (main building) probably has a nice ocean view, but from the east wing (east wing), the main building blocks the view. My room was large enough to open my luggage comfortably. Check-in was quick, the lobby amenities were useful, and the in-room air refresher helped. Some areas look newly updated, including the bathroom glass, towel rack, and tap. The bathroom was spotless, and housekeeping was meticulous, a sharp contrast with the old shower floor at the Dormy Inn in Otaru, which felt sticky. The bathroom here was tiny, though. Even a small movement meant bumping into the roll holder or door. Looking through the album, I found it had an almost identical design to APA. Shower pressure was weak and inconsistent, so it took forever to wash. The AC couldn't cool the room enough; at 20°C the switch area clicked, so it seemed better to set it below 20. The original fridge was distracting at night, and I had to turn it off, so I couldn't chill drinks.

It's an older hotel, but well kept, and close to the train station. The staff were friendly and helpful. We paid a big premium because we came during sakura season, when hotels were quite full and expensive. I appreciated having pajamas to use in the hotel and a bottle of water each day.