Zonk Hotel Haruyoshi-Teramachidori

The Wi-Fi didn’t work, and there was a worrying issue with people repeatedly trying to open our door by mistake. We couldn’t tell why. Our room was right by the entrance, and we stayed two nights as two women. The bunk bed seemed fun and nostalgic at first, but the upper bunk was smaller than a single, not a double as we expected, and that wasn’t mentioned when booking. Since we’d come to enjoy time together, one of us having to sleep in the smaller bunk wasn’t appealing. The toilet smelled awful, perhaps because of the water, and it was unbearable even with the door ajar. The electric kettle was useful, but it was dusty and unclean, so I didn’t want to touch it. Apart from being in the middle of the city, I had several complaints. Still, it might suit someone who just needs somewhere to sleep.

I was very satisfied with the stay and found a fish shop serving breakfast from 7 am just a two-minute walk away. There’s also a stylish liquor store with a great selection one minute away. The location is a little far out, but you can use the gym and office freely. There’s a drink bar, and kids can play board games. We also had private training sessions with friends and got to stay in a great place. The only issue was that taking off your shoes made the door difficult to open and close.

After figuring out the system, I found it extremely convenient and think the hotel could be completely unmanned. It would be good to see this check-in setup become more widespread. At hotels in this price range, staff who aren’t familiar with the process can make check-in frustrating. There’s also an old-fashioned public bath nearby, open until midnight, but it only has showers. This was my first stay at this location for work, though I’d used the same system in Nakasu before. There, I could check in easily on one of several tablets in the open lobby. Here, it’s confusing for a first-time visitor. You go through a sliding entrance door, enter a password to open it, then provide guest information on a tablet about 50 centimeters from the doorway. The process takes time, while you’re left feeling pressure from blocking the entrance. Once it’s done, your room passcode appears on the screen. Remember to take a photo, since it’s easy to forget.

I only stayed one night, mainly because the location was so good, and it was very convenient. The rooms weren’t bad enough to disappoint. The seafood around the nearby Yanagibashi shopping district was incredibly delicious, as was breakfast at the Japanese restaurant Uo to Sakana Ito Okashi, which also serves breakfast.