Trip Pod Higashihie

The unit was very clean, and there were plenty of towels and toiletries. I especially loved the warm toilet seat. The check-in box was tucked toward the far end and was easy to miss at first, so it could be more visible. The loft is really high and has no outlet for charging a phone, which meant leaving mine by the bottom of the ladder overnight.

The room had a washing machine, which was a big help, and check-out through the room tablet was easy. We also had a simple check-in at the kiosk outside, and were lucky to get a first-floor room. I understand the second floor has no elevator. The location was handy, about a five-minute walk to Higashi Hie subway station, and around three minutes to Sunny supermarket and Joyful restaurant. We found Joyful by accident and the food was good. Our room was okay, though my friend spotted a hair on the mattress. The pillows were so thin they really should be replaced, and there weren’t many blankets.

The room felt cramped for three people, and the layout didn’t make good use of the space. The beds were poor, with two levels reached by a very long ladder that felt like climbing up to the roof. It was clean enough, but there’s no elevator, so getting large luggage up to the second floor was difficult. The heater didn’t work well either. During my November stay, the room took hours to warm up and the floor stayed cold. Cooking wasn’t really an option, since there was only a pan and pot, with no knife or other cooking equipment.

The futon was thin, the furniture felt cheap, and the room hadn’t been cleaned properly. There weren’t many power outlets either. It might be tolerable if you think of it as staying in a college friend’s room. For this quality at this price, I’d strongly suggest paying a little more for a proper hotel.