Nishitetsu Inn Kokura

The mattress was so hard I kept shifting around in bed. Maybe that's just personal preference, but I noticed it as soon as I sat down. I've stayed at about 10 hotels around Japan over the past year and hadn't run into this before. The bathroom had some mold around the corners, which also seemed unusual for Japan, but thankfully there was no smell. The facility is old but decent. The price and location are fine, so it works as a reasonable budget option.

The rooms are dated and a bit basic, but clean. After a cold day out, I really enjoyed soaking in the spacious, clean indoor baths. The service was fantastic, too. I left my sweater in the room after checkout, and the hotel kindly mailed it to my next hotel.

The onsen was the highlight, clean, relaxing, and easy to get to. Check-in went smoothly, and the room was fine, though a few spots weren't spotless. The hotel is right by the station and has handy things like washing machines and clean microwaves. They left fresh towels at my door each day, even with the “Do Not Disturb” sign up, which was practical. The Wi-Fi kept disconnecting, though, and it was hard to stay online. Apart from that, we enjoyed our stay.

The staff were kind, and the rooms were clean and easy to use. The large bathhouse was fantastic.