Imabari Urban Hotel (New Building)

The rooms have been spruced up and the hotel is very clean. The bed was firm and I slept very well, though the old style TVs and clocks still give the place some Showa ambiance. It’s a business hotel from another era and a little worn compared with their “Shin-kan” annex further along the street. The location is very convenient, across from Imabari train station and the cycle terminal where you can rent bikes for the Shimanami Kaido route, and the price was very reasonable. I appreciated the laundry room on my bike tour, though there’s only one washer and dryer. I was lucky it was free before 9pm, since guests are asked not to use it later. A cheap buffet breakfast seems to be available, but I didn’t try it. I’d stay here again.

The website I booked through showed a very reasonable price, and breakfast was included. The hotel is in front of Imabari Station, with free parking in seven spaces beside the building or in the lot across from the station, where staff will direct you. Mr. Mori on night duty was very helpful, though the morning staff were average. Cars passing on the nearby main road may bother some people, but the trains didn’t bother me. I booked a non-smoking room. There was a sign warning people not to smoke in bed, so perhaps they enforce a smoking ban. I don’t smoke, but the smell didn’t bother me. 202601

The front desk is on the second floor, and there’s parking on the first floor plus seven spaces on the south side. They said there are other parking options too. The road in front of the south lot is one-way from west to east, so take care when entering or leaving. Welcome drinks like coffee are available, and breakfast includes free coffee, bread, and a boiled egg. The room is old, but the shower had plenty of hot water and the bedding was comfortable. I never got used to the cold toilet seat, though. The location near the station is good, with a Seven-Eleven inside the station and a Lawson about a three-minute walk away. There are set-meal places, pubs, and yakiniku restaurants within five minutes on foot. The room’s age is hard to deny, but the staff were wonderful. I imagined, perhaps wrongly, that their good service came from how attached they are to the hotel. Newer hotels can have poor service, but the staff here treated me well.

The breakfast was nutritious and excellent value, and convenience stores and restaurants were close enough to walk to. I stayed at this business hotel on October 12, 2025, and found its spot next to Imabari Station excellent. Nearby Buddhist temples were easy to visit on foot or by bus. The room was simply and practically furnished.