Hotel Route-Inn Koriyama Inter

The room was good and the bed comfortable, and there’s a public bath for relaxing. Breakfast was quite good compared with other Hotel Route Inn branches, and the staff were friendly. The hotel is a little way from JR Koriyama station, though it’s not far from the highway.

Good value and a convenient location. The parking is covered and feels secure, and I could see my vehicle from my room.

I stay here often for work, and the staff have been remarkably responsive. The parking lot is a bit awkward to get in and out of, but that’s hard to avoid. They even have postcard-sized tattoo cover stickers for 250 yen each, as long as the tattoo is small enough to hide. When I left something behind and asked them to send it cash on delivery, they paid the shipping, which was a big help. They also had disposable chopsticks when I forgot to pick some up at a nearby supermarket, so they seem ready for all sorts of requests. I’ve only eaten in the dining room at breakfast. It’s understandable that staff are busy when it’s crowded, but when they have time, they’re very attentive. I started clearing my dishes and a staff member came over to collect them, which helped. They seemed alert to what was going on around them and well trained. I was very satisfied with how they handled things.

The breakfast area is always packed, and the internet is frustrating to use on both wired and wireless connections. Oddly, it starts working whenever I tell the front desk it’s down. They keep breakfast open later for large groups, which is disappointing. I can’t imagine business travelers appreciating a later closing time. Starting earlier seems like the natural approach for a business hotel, and some other hotels do that. It’s constantly crowded, and when customers who aren’t doing anything still come in, I get the sense the hotel has little interest in looking after its guests. It feels like they’re just operating within Route Inn’s rules. I’ve stayed at many Route Inns, and this was the worst.