Fukui Palace Inn

I was glad the hotel had underground parking when I stayed on a snowy day. The nearby coin parking looked like my car might get stuck as soon as I pulled in. City hall’s multilevel lot avoids the snow, but costs a bit more. The hotel spaces are cramped, first come, first served, and there are only six or seven of them. With several cars ahead, I had to maneuver my medium-sized station wagon quite a bit, but I appreciated having the option. The room was showing its age, though I thought it was worth the price. As a middle-aged man traveling alone, I wasn’t too bothered, but others might feel differently. The breakfast buffet potato salad was delicious, with lots of ingredients and a nice homemade feel.

The room is cheap enough if you only need somewhere to sleep. Cleaning was thorough, the linens were clean, the staff were nice, and the service was good. The room itself felt dated, though: shower temperature and toilet controls were analog, and the centrally controlled air conditioning only let you adjust the airflow. I could hear ordinary conversations from next door.

It’s fine if you want a cheap place with just the basics. I wish they’d told me I couldn’t use the drinking water in the room, and there was no washlet. The centralized air conditioning gets noisy when it’s on, though I got used to it.

The location is central, with plenty of restaurants nearby, and my room did have a bidet toilet, despite what some reviews said. But the bed was only just acceptable, and I could hear the late-returning guest next door snoring through the thin walls. Even though my room was supposed to be non-smoking, it smelled strongly of cigarettes, and there were burn holes in the curtains.