Hotel Route Inn Iwakiizumi Ekimae

A great spot for a meal and an overnight stay.

The breakfast is a real plus here: it begins at 6:30 a.m., has plenty of choices, and is surprisingly good for something included in the stay. For business travel, the hotel is also good value. Rooms are on the small side, and some lack both a shower and a tub. That’s manageable because there are large public baths in both Building 1 and Building 2, usually with enough room to relax. The water has hot spring minerals. Building 2 has four washing machines, with some more in Building 1; they’re generally available whenever you need them. There are a couple of useful perks. You get a medal-like token each day, which can be traded for a soft drink. Skipping room cleaning, once every three days, earns 200 points each time, which is especially handy for Ponta members. Using a Ponta card is the best deal, particularly the "Route Inn Ponta VISA card," which gives nearly 10% back in points per day.

Aquamarine Fukushima is under a 20-minute drive away, and Izumi Station is about a two-minute walk. This seems to be a mid-sized Route Inn. There’s a main building and a west building, with two dining rooms, though it sounds like only one operates unless it gets busy. The free parking lot is roomy, which is a nice plus. The closest convenience store takes around five minutes to reach on foot.

I came here for work and will stay again when I’m nearby. Since there aren’t hotels around Izumi Station like there are by Iwaki Station, the place got packed at check-in and during breakfast. The app lets you skip guest registration at check-in, though booking through the website is still an option. I appreciated the online booking discount and the soft drink you can get from the vending machines. Breakfast also feels a little more upscale than what Toyoko Inn serves.