PB Stay Kounan

I was worried about the beds after hearing they were singles, but they were closer to semi-double size, and my 10-year-old and I both slept well during our two-night stay. The room was comfortable, with a microwave, kettle, induction cooker, hair dryer, and washing machine. It was my first time using an unmanned check-in and checkout, and everything went smoothly. One funny thing, though: trucks passing by make the place shake. At first I thought it was an earthquake and got a surprise, but you get used to it. Glad we stayed, and I'd come back! ^^

A quirky place for people who like something different: the hotel rooms are built from containers, and both check-in and checkout are fully unmanned. The rooms are clean, with a drugstore and Nepalese and Indian restaurants nearby, which is convenient.

The Indian curry place next door is inexpensive and tasty, and there's a coin laundry right out front. There's also a drugstore beside the hotel. I was surprised it sold groceries like a supermarket, meat included. The unmanned container hotel was interesting, and the room had more space than I expected. It comes with an induction cooktop and microwave, and pots and pans are available to rent. There's a washing machine too, but no detergent, so grab some at the drugstore.

The room setup is meant for one person. If you book as a family, they arrange adjoining rooms. Each room is separate, but we could still hear occasional banging, so the outside walls don't seem soundproofed. For a stay of two nights in one place, the facilities are really useful: refrigerator, kitchenette, microwave, hair dryer, pot, soup cup, washing machine, drying rack, Wi-Fi, and USB charging ports. There was no detergent, so I was glad I'd brought single-use detergent and fabric softener. There's no dryer and not much room to dry clothes. What I washed at night hadn't dried by checkout in the morning, except for my underwear, which I spread on the rack under the air conditioner. I also hung clothes on hangers from a rope in the bathroom and ran the exhaust fan, but only quick-drying fabrics dried. Check-in, checkout, and reception are all handled on a tablet. If I got stuck, a staff member came from the back to check on me, so it was fine even when I was in a pinch. When one person books for several people, that person's room pass holder gets all the room passes and has each person write down their room number. There's a Lawson nearby and a McDonald's about a three-minute drive away. The area is quiet and pitch black at night, but parking is easy and each room is private. Lake Biwa and Mie are both close. I didn't notice any of the room-related smells mentioned in other reviews, and I'm satisfied overall.