Seaside Hotel Palco

For ¥5'100 without breakfast, I got a tiny western-style room that smelled bad, with a very small bathroom. There was no shared hot bath, tea, thermos, or Wi-Fi.

The staff were really friendly, and I couldn't smell cigarettes anywhere. I was in a budget room on a business trip, hoping to relax, and the space between the bed and desk made it feel roomy for a single at this price. The chairs and desk worked well for me, and the interior was very clean. The entrance looked like plywood, which made me wonder if it was a Showa-era room. Maybe a higher-grade room would be different. The unit bath was the letdown. It's small, and the slanted toilet feels cramped if you're hungover, though that didn't happen to me this time. The tub is tiny too, which was stressful for me as someone who has to squat to wash my hair. The hot and cold taps dispense equal amounts, which is a pain. The eighth-floor public bath has shower space, so you can wash without worrying about other people, but its tub only looks big enough for two or three adults. If you want to stretch your legs and soak up to your shoulders, there's room for just one person. The lockers are small too. I was alone when I used them, but they could be awkward if several people were there.

The room was small, but it was fine for sleeping, and I was happy with my stay. The hotel is walkable from the Maizuru Half Marathon venue. I arrived by motorcycle, and the covered motorcycle parking was a real plus. The car park is large enough for plenty of vehicles too. Breakfast is free and starts at 6am, and having a Lawson next door is handy.

We got a great ocean view, even though I'd read that what you see from the window depends a lot on the room location. For three people the room-only rate was about 18,000 yen. The room was spacious and very thoroughly cleaned, so I was really pleased. I would have liked a few more amenities to make the stay a bit more fun, though. Breakfast was free at the restaurant next door, and it was delicious.