Kamakura Prince Hotel

It was a peaceful, very pleasant place to stay in Kamakura, with big rooms and a huge hotel. The station is nearby, and there’s a free bus between it and the hotel. Staff were super friendly, and breakfast had both Japanese and Western options. We also took a golf class and a Pilates class near the hotel. A great vacation spot!

We stayed one night and it worked well for us. The rooms were quiet, and the view outside was beautiful. The beds are small for adults, though that’s not unusual. Breakfast was about US$25 per adult, so we skipped it and went to Kamakura station instead, where there were lockers for our bags and lots of restaurants nearby.

My wife and I visit Japan at least three times a year, and this was by far the worst hotel we’ve had. We tried to cancel five days ahead but couldn’t, and ended up paying for two nights while staying one. It was 31C, the pool was closed, and the air conditioning wasn’t very good. They gave us a fan, but it stopped in the middle of the night. The furniture was old, dirty and dated, and the garden was clearly not maintained. Management apologized when we spoke with them, but it seemed there was no budget to spend on the place. I wouldn’t be surprised if the complex is owned offshore. I feel sorry for the staff.

I had to find another hotel urgently because we couldn’t stand being in this room for more than 30 minutes. A stench and musty odor were already noticeable on the floor, then got worse in the room, and ventilation didn’t help. There was visible mold on the bathroom walls. The room was shabby, with stains on the floor, and didn’t look like the photos. I can’t recommend staying here, and the conditions felt dangerous to our health. We had booked two nights but couldn’t get even one night refunded.