Business Hotel Tsuru

I booked this place so I could photograph the cranes in Izumi in the morning. Bring your own pajamas, because none are provided. The only shampoo in the room is the rinse-in kind. There are bottles at the front desk, but they looked to me like leftovers from another guest. I wouldn’t recommend it for women.

It’s cheap, which is why I think I’ll keep staying here. The rooms are reasonably clean, and once you’re inside, you don’t have to deal with the owner at the front desk. Whether the low price works for you probably comes down to how much you can put up with. He somehow manages to make just about every comment irritating.

The washer is 200 yen and 60 minutes in the dryer costs 400 yen, which is fair enough. But the machine is old: it didn’t react when I put in 200 yen, so I had to pay another 200 before I could get my laundry done. When I told the hotel staff it had taken my money, they just said, “Huh?” Then they put up an out-of-order sign even though someone was using the machine. The service was awful. I’m the older man with glasses you see at night. This is at least the second time a coin laundry has taken my money.

The rates are low enough that I can see staying here if you don’t mind dated facilities. My room was cold even though it had air conditioning, since the heater didn’t warm it up. And at the bathroom tap I waited about five minutes for hot water. I guess that’s part of dealing with an older building.