Kamenoi Hotel Kochi

My room on the 9th floor had a great view, and the hotel was so quiet that I mostly heard the train crossing the bridge every hour or so, plus an occasional drip from the toilet. The room had everything I could think of, even a power lead and a multi-purpose cable. The staff were kind, the restaurant served traditional Japanese dinner, and breakfast was a buffet with lots of choices. I appreciated that staff spoke English, though I hadn’t expected it. There’s also a spa with onsens, yukata you can borrow from the first floor, free welcome drinks, a tiny shop, and complimentary ramen late at night. Getting there without a car was a hassle. I walked about 15 minutes from the train station, then had to go up a hill. I saw a shuttle offered from the airport, but not from Kochi station; a pickup from Ino station could be useful. Google Maps first directed me to Ino station and suggested a 40-minute walk, though Hakawa station is closer. It’s only served by a local train, and you need to buy a ticket because IC cards aren’t accepted. Breakfast runs early, from 7:00-9:00, with the suggested last order by 8:00. The pillow was extremely hard and gave me neck pain and a headache. I woke up almost every hour or two, so I eventually put it aside and slept on the mattress. Later I tried the small brown pillow, which helped a little. I also had to call because I was going to miss the dinner time I’d given them. When I asked if they spoke English, they didn’t, but they still helped me get the message across with my awful Japanese. I hate phone calls and felt nervous, but they handled it professionally.