Hotel Grand Palace Isahaya

There's a spacious lobby at this long-established hotel, and it seems to offer appealing plans for female guests. It also has a restaurant, with a Japanese eel restaurant next door. I'll keep it in mind as a place to stay when I'm in Isahaya.

The minivan drivers here cut in front of passengers without hesitation and ignore traffic lights. I wonder what kind of training they get. They don't deserve even one star.

I had no particular reason to visit Isahaya, but the price was such a bargain that I booked right away: 8,220 yen for a twin room with breakfast. One thing to know if you're bringing children is that towels and other amenities are included in the room price, but their breakfast costs extra. Breakfast was 1,350 yen, and even with that added, I found the price very satisfying. The hotel is a bit far from the station, which is a shame, though you can walk. Breakfast itself was fantastic. The buffet had rice, curry, miso soup, seaweed, eggs, mentaiko, and drinks, so there was plenty to eat. You can't get refills of the main dish, but there are three choices. I ordered all three, and they were all delicious.

We came back to Isahaya after quite a while, the two of us, and found the twin room spacious and comfortable. There was a sofa area separate from the desk where we could relax, and the window looked out over the Honmyo River. The location isn't ideal since it's far from the station and there are no convenience stores nearby. We knew that going in, though, because it had originally been intended for weddings and guest accommodation, so it didn't bother us. Uoso, a long-established restaurant, is right next door, so dinner was easy to sort out. At 13,800 yen for two people, it was good value.