Hotel Tomioka-ya

The room had air conditioning, and the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash they supplied all smelled really nice. The owner's wife was friendly, and the owner himself was kind too. When I told him I'd walked there, he even offered to lend me a bike. A perfectly fine hotel for a basic stay.

I stayed here for a long work assignment, and personally, I wouldn't come back. It's only worth considering if all you need is a cheap bed, a shower, and shelter from the weather. There were too many other problems to cover, but the room and service were unpleasant. The cleaning was poor: dust had built up under the bed and behind the table, and there were lots of little bugs. The sheets had obvious stains that looked like they'd survived several washes. Halfway through my stay I was moved to a different room, but it was still very dark even with the window open in daytime because the lighting was so weak. The front desk was awful. The key was left on the counter, and the man at the desk would come and go, so he could get into other rooms whenever he wanted. When I raised this at check-in, he brushed it off by asking whether I had any valuables. Even after the bed had been made, my door would be left open for hours during the day, letting other guests look inside. It made having a key feel pointless.

What a nice surprise to find a place like this beyond the usual convenience and advertising networks. I'm happy enough to share this little hidden gem. The owner is passionate about lilies and other flowers, and we talked so long we lost track of time. He's also involved in local revitalization as a volunteer. I found the cheap opening on Jalan, searching by price, and only then realized it was quite a way from the station. I was walking the Tokaido Road and would have preferred somewhere along the old route, but couldn't find one easily. I couldn't make sense of the directions over the phone, even after asking several times, so the owner eventually saw I was struggling and drove out to pick me up. I was more familiar with Fujieda City Hotel. It's a little old, but the room feels luxurious and you can see the owner's care in the details. I understand the hotel is part of the Indian chain OYO. And a side note, both people at the Okabe General Tourist Information Center gave excellent advice.

The breakfast was great. They give you a huge serving of rice, and it tasted so good I managed to finish it all. The building's age shows in the room, though, and the hotel is a long way from the station, so getting around isn't especially convenient.