Business Hotel Isesaki Heisei INN

Really nice!

We were there for several nights on a work trip, and the room turned out much better than we’d feared. My coworker had booked it as a Japanese-style room, which made me wonder if we’d ended up at a ryokan or guesthouse. Reviews mentioning shared toilets and baths had us worried, and we even wondered whether the fridge would be shared. Once we arrived, though, we found a private bath and toilet, plus a sink and a small fridge. Everyone was visibly relieved. The building isn’t new, but it was clean and comfortable. Breakfast had lots of dishes that seemed homemade, and the staff were very polite and well received. There were a couple of noisy drawbacks. Wind coming through the window made such a racket on windy days that it woke me up, and the washing machine was terribly loud when I walked down the hall. It would be good if they could improve those things.

The dry sauna really stands out: it’s quiet, with no TV, and the thermometer showed 110°C. Its two-level bench sits in a space about 1.6 m wide, 2 m deep, and 220 cm high, with a convection stone heater. Very Showa-era dry heat. There’s no cold bath, so I cooled off with a cold shower. With a room this good, adding a plunge bath near the bathroom or in the courtyard could be interesting. The bathroom has a spacious tub, around 2 m deep and 3 m wide. A box of SOD ceramic is submerged by the hot water outlet, and is said to ease fatigue through far-infrared rays. Afterward, you can rest on a bath stool or tub edge, or head to the lounge and cool off in front of the fan. 🤤 The changing area opens onto a hotel spa rest space, where free-flowing barley tea is a nice touch. There are paid massage chairs, plus free foot massage machines that are broken and sting your soles. 🦶😖 A few odd magazines are provided, but no comics. I’d been curious about this place for a while. It’s a long-running business hotel, open since 1989, and even over New Year the room-only rate was under 4,000 yen per person, which is good value. Rooms are traditional tatami style, with futons laid right on the floor and no in-room bath or toilet. Each room has its own Wi-Fi router, handy for coworking or online games. Welcome coffee and newspapers are by the front desk, but they’re available only in the evening and close in the morning.

It’s a particularly quiet place to relax, though there aren’t many restaurants or entertainment spots nearby. You can walk to them in about 5-10 minutes. The price is very reasonable, and I’d definitely come back. 🥰 Thanks for the hospitality. 🙇‍♂️ The staff were friendly and patient, and the hotel seems mainly geared toward business travelers. There’s free parking, a large public bath, a sauna, self-service laundry and drying facilities, and massage chairs in the lobby for an extra fee. 😅 The public bath has set opening times, roughly before people go home from work and before they head out in the morning. Check the website for details. Rooms don’t have bathrooms. 😌