Ise Pearl Pier Hotel

There’s a local supermarket across the road, and a large drugstore for essentials just one or two blocks away. The location works well for Kintetsu trains, breakfast is decent, and the room is spacious enough for a Japanese business hotel. But the place feels more budget and worn than other Japanese budget hotels, with lots of little cost-saving choices that added up to inconvenience for me. Wi-Fi didn’t reach the table in my corner room, though moving rooms should be an easy fix. It’s also quite a walk from the JR station’s main entrance, something JR Pass users should keep in mind since they can only leave through that entrance. I’d book it if I were paying myself, but for guests I’d look for somewhere newer.

A practical hotel with a big room and a very good Japanese bathroom. The view over the railways might not suit everyone, but it’s nice for photos. Breakfast included some good local specialties.

You can tell the hotel has some age, though it’s close to Ise Station and there’s a grocery store just across the street for travel supplies. The bath hall was closed for maintenance, which was a real shame since it was the facility I most wanted to use. The counter staff only speak Japanese.

The beds are rock hard, but the rooms are larger than you’d expect for a standard Japanese business hotel. There’s a small onsen on the second floor, and when I stayed for the 2018 Oise-san Marathon (Ise Half), breakfast was available at 6am. Compared with Ise City Hotel, where I stayed the year before, Pearl Pier felt cleaner and tidier, maybe after small updates like new wallpaper. Check-in and check-out were easy. It’s about a 600 meter walk from Iseshi station, and a little closer to Uji Yamada station. There’s a small grocery store across the street for snacks and basics. For dinner, I’d wander along the street in front of Iseshi station.