HOTEL R9 The Yard Maebashi

It was a good, cheap stay with everything I needed for one night. I can’t say much about the location since my time in Maebashi was very short too.

The internet was surprisingly fast for a business hotel. Even at 9 PM, when the hotel website said it was fully booked, I got around 70Mbps, which was enough for me. There wasn’t an electric kettle in the room, though. The parking setup is awkward too: this is built on the site of the former pachinko parlor, ARK Sekine branch. The main parking area is now container storage for guest rooms, while the hotel parking is where the parlor’s second lot used to be. Unlike other R9 hotels, the lot is outside the property rather than in front of the containers, so getting luggage in is less convenient. There’s a bar next door, but I’m not sure how easy it is to manage on foot otherwise. In the bathroom, I found hairs left by previous guests. Typical R9 quality, haha. The outlets right in front of the desk are taken up by the network equipment and built-in TV, leaving only less convenient ones at the edges or bedside. Charging several phones or tablets can be a problem. Also, they charge the full room rate for consecutive nights even without cleaning. A free drink or something would help, because full price for just trash collection feels unfair. One more thing, and this applies beyond the Maebashi branch: if you pay on site, you have to enter your card details, including the security code, on a large check-in tablet where the person behind you can see everything. Someone with good eyesight could misuse that information. I think it’s a security concern and hope head office deals with it soon. Unless you have no choice but to pay there, I strongly recommend paying in advance.

On my solo trip, this was my second visit to this location, after a recent stay at the Yabuki branch. The container layout and equipment were almost the same, so it was comfortable. The differences were the parking lot’s location, machine-made coffee instead of drip bags, and a card key rather than a PIN.

The room was new, neat, and tidy, but it got really cold at night. I turned off the heating before bed and then couldn’t sleep because of the cold. The site is small, and parking is about 50m from the accommodation. There are only two spaces by reception, so you have to unload your bags there and move the car. That’s a hassle with lots of luggage, especially in the rain.