Business Hotel Katsuyama

A comfy bed, clean amenities, and staff who were pleasant.

The front desk staff who showed me in at check-in were very nice, which made the state of the room a real shame. Cleaning was terrible, and they didn’t seem to be hiding the shortcuts. Dust covered the bathroom exhaust fan, and there was limescale on the stainless steel. The bathtub felt rough and looked unwashed. The air conditioner wasn’t working well, so I opened its panel and found a dusty filter, along with mold all over the vent. I have no idea how long it had been since the filter was cleaned.

For the price, this hotel is a welcome find, especially now that it’s so hard to get a room for under 10,000 yen a night. There’s a convenience store very close by, and Don Quijote is also walkable at just under 600m away. The 8th-floor public bath is much more relaxing than the little bathroom in the room, though it’s a regular bath, without jets or medicinal water. The main bath is about the size of 8 tatami mats, the open-air bath beside it is around 3 tatami mats, and there are four washing spots. By the elevator on the 8th floor, they offer several kinds of little ice creams for free, which is a nice touch.

October 2025. I stayed in the Premium (New Wing), and it’s still lovely even though it’s been some time since the renovation. The key card is needed for the elevator, which might make women feel more comfortable. On the top floor there’s a public bath, partly open-air, and free ice cream too. I’m a certified guide with the Shikoku 88, 20, and 36 Fudo Pilgrimage Sites Association. Most of my reviews are meant to help walking pilgrims.