BACCHUS Kofu Guest House

I slept really well in the pine-scented room, and the tiny shower-bath was surprisingly good for a soak. The toilet was clean too. After a long trek, the friendly staff made me feel welcome, and I met both locals and travelers in the great downstairs social space. A lovely hostel in a city that feels like a hidden gem. Follow my instagram to see my journey through Japan @Apexiso

We had a private room, but it was dirty. There was old rubbish from previous guests, and the bathroom and room had a gross buildup of grime. Check-in by computer was a hassle too. The whole place could be much better with proper cleaning. I’d stay somewhere else.

I made a last-minute booking about four hours before arriving, for 3000yen on booking dot com. Checking in myself was easy, and the room was clean enough. The place has a really cool feel, and I imagine it’s a fun spot when travel season is in full swing.

The room itself was simple and fine, but the rest of the place was off-putting. The bins looked like they hadn’t been emptied in days, and the laundry was overflowing. There was nobody else in the building, and with the lights so dim it felt incredibly creepy. As a solo traveler, that was the first time on my Japan trip I felt unsafe, so I booked a hotel down the street and left, taking the loss on the cost of Bacchus for that night. Check-in was self-service on a tablet, and when I realized I’d booked for the next day by mistake, a call got my reservation changed to that night. That part was great. Maybe it would’ve been okay if the place were clean and had people around, but not for me that night.