Aqua Palace Chatan by Coldio Premium

There was no one around to help. You check in at a machine, can’t leave your luggage there, and get no assistance from anyone. The cleaning staff didn’t help and didn’t speak English either. My booking clearly showed one person, but they charged me for two, and never replied about the mistake. They promote luxury rooms, but these are just ordinary apartments. Honestly, a pretty bad experience.

I chose this hotel through Agoda mainly for its rooftop pool. Only after checking in did I learn I’d been put in the Annex Building, which has no pool and is a five-minute walk from the main building. Nothing during the Agoda booking process said I might be assigned there. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have booked. It felt misleading and was very inconvenient. The air conditioners dripped on the first day, leaving part of the bed and duvet wet. The hot water also cut out halfway through showers, so I had to rush. Cooking breakfast was frustrating because the gas stove kept going on and off. The hotel emailed us a cleaning date and specifically asked us to put our things away for the cleaners. All they did was make the beds and leave fresh towels. They didn’t vacuum, take out rubbish, or clean the kitchen or bathroom. It was a terrible stay. I’d never return or recommend it. The worst B&B I’ve ever stayed at.

The apartment was great if you’re not very sensitive to noise. The rooms are spacious, comfortable, and very competitively priced, with comfortable beds, a complete kitchen, and new, clean facilities in good working order. Sound carries a lot. I could hear a neighbor sneeze through the next apartment, as well as loud cars and motorcycles racing on the main road about 1 km away. The nearby military airport flights passed overhead, but weren’t too low and the engine noise wasn’t uncomfortable. The street racing stopped around midnight, while planes flew only during the day, starting around 8 or 9am, though I wasn’t paying close attention. For a Japanese apartment, the soundproofing seemed pretty normal, so I only took off half a star. Automated check-in takes a few minutes and some effort, but it wasn’t a big issue.

There’s a washer and dryer, but the four people sharing the living room also have to share one toilet. The apartment sleeps up to six adults: two in a separate room with its own bathroom, and the other four in the living room, with two on futons and two in proper beds.