Hotel Route - Inn Kumagaya

We were traveling as a group of four through Gotemba, Haneda, Fukaya/Kumagaya, and Nikko. At other places on the trip, we never ran into this problem. We checked out at about 11:15 a.m. and were charged ¥4,000 for being late. I understood that 11 a.m. was the usual checkout time at Japanese hotels, but this Route Inn hotel had a 10 a.m. rule. The ¥1,000-per-person, per-room, per-hour penalty wasn't mentioned when we checked in. When we wouldn't pay, the front desk staff threatened to call the police more than three times. She said all Route Inn hotels had a 10 a.m. checkout because they were business hotels, though I later found some Route Inn hotels check out at 11 a.m. and others at 10 a.m. There was no room for discussion. The staff member also told us foreigners should learn Japanese instead of her improving her English. I found that shameful. I felt there was no point negotiating with what seemed like a human robot at the desk, so we paid. For ¥4,000, Route Inn has earned this bad review. Think about whether that charge is worth it. The chain hasn't met international standards in my experience. I'll never stay at a Route Inn again on a future trip to Japan. Check the checkout time carefully, since it seems to vary and could come as a surprise.