Kawasaki Station INN

The biggest problem was how misleading the listing felt. If I'd known more about the hotel, I probably wouldn't have been so shocked. At check-in, they initially tried to charge an extra ¥3000 because I had a guest, even though I had booked for two through AirBnB. After we talked, they understood I had paid for the room in full. The staff were nice but unprofessional. The room was acceptable, though the cigarette smell was very strong. There's only a small push lock on the knob, with no other lock, which felt unsafe, especially for women, and there was no in-room safe. The washer and dryer aren't included, despite the listing suggesting otherwise. Breakfast was said to be included, but we got no information when we arrived and missed it the first morning because it ended so early. It runs 6:45-9AM, a short window. We had rice and Indian curry, nothing special, though refills were free. There was no milk or creamer for coffee, just sugar or syrup. The windows were fully taped up. A pet shop is next door, and you can kind of smell pets. The building seemed to be crumbling around the walls and floor, but it wasn't really dirty, more messy. We thought about checking out for another hotel, but stayed because the room wasn't terrible. For me, this was a place to sleep, but I wouldn't stay again or recommend it to friends or family. I'd pick a reputable business hotel. If money is tight and you don't care much about the hotel itself, this might be okay. It felt like a more private hostel than a real hotel. There were some positives: it's maybe 5-10 minutes on foot from JR Kawasaki station, close to shops and restaurants, and the area wasn't very loud. I slept fine with earplugs. The bathroom seemed completely new, which is a must for me, and the elevator was nice. The bed itself felt clean. One pillow smelled too smoky, so I had to get it replaced. Breakfast is included, but it wasn't amazing.

I booked this for my wife and her friend during a short Japan stopover. The bed was clean, but the place looked more like a storage room, with clutter, noise, and a bad smell from the toilet. The pillows were so thin they felt like paper. The fridge, oven, and other things were just sitting on the floor, and the carpet wasn't secured. There was no lock apart from the button on the knob, which didn't feel safe, especially for women. The staff seemed unprofessional, dressed in a T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. I wouldn't recommend it again. It was embarrassing.

After seeing all the harsh Google map reviews, I was nervous about hygiene problems here. A lot of people mentioned a bathroom odor, weak shower, black marks on the curtain, dirty corners, smelly towels, and things left on the stairs. Here's what I found. The bathroom did smell a little, but I could put up with it for one night. That's the main reason I won't book again. The shower pressure was weak, though only mildly and it didn't inconvenience me. There were some slight black stains on the curtain. I didn't check every hidden corner for trash, so I can't say whether there was any, but what I could see was tidy. The towels smelled a bit odd, though maybe I was biased by the reviews. Either way, it wasn't a big issue. Some things were left on the stairs, mostly utensils rather than trash bags, but they weren't blocking the way, so I didn't mind. Those complaints were mostly true, though probably less severe than claimed. I could manage for one night, but still prefer not to return.

So far, this is the worst quality hotel I've tried in Japan. It was dirty and reeked of cigarettes.