Business Hotel Akayane - Hostel

The room was okay, and having good air conditioning was a big plus. The wifi, though, was really bad.

Be careful when making a reservation. The platform wasn't clear enough, and my Japanese isn't great, so I made a mistake. Even though I checked the information saying I'm male, it still let me book a women's dormitory. Later I couldn't switch to another room and lost the reservation money, even though I never reserved anything.

I stayed in a single room on April 25th. Matsuyama JR station is less than a 5 minute walk away, which was great. Check-in was easy and the staff were friendly. The room uses a physical key rather than the RFID cards common in hotels today. There was no staff at the counter in the morning. You can reach them by phone, but that's inconvenient for foreigners. I arrived in the morning and needed to check in my luggage, so I had to leave it myself in a lobby corner with several other bags. There is 24hr video surveillance aimed at the luggage area, and you can chain-lock a bag to the rail shelf. Bring a chain-lock if you need to leave luggage there. The room had no tea kettle, tea bags, coffee, or drinking water. Those things are in the lobby, where hot and cold water come from a portable dispenser. I was really surprised that filling your own reusable bottle isn't allowed, which staff said was for hygiene. You can only use the provided tiny paper cup, about 50-70ml, to get water or make tea or coffee. Eating and drinking aren't allowed in the lobby either, so you have to carry that tiny cup back to your room. Very inconvenient for me. There are two breakfast set menus, chicken congee or sea bream rice soup (Tai-chazuke). I had the latter and it was delicious. For the price, the stay met my expectations apart from the hassle of getting hot water to make tea or coffee myself. I'd consider staying here again if I travel to Matsuyama bymyself, but wouldn't recommend it for a couple or family.

October 2025 I couldn't get a non-smoking Japanese-style room, so I stayed in a smoking one. There was no cigarette smell, despite that, and although the room was small, it didn't disturb my sleep. The location right in front of the station and the low price suited my early trip on the first JR Shikoku Bus to the Kumakogen Line, followed by the Iyotetsu Nanyo Bus. I was leaving early, so I only stayed overnight. Breakfast starts at 6:30 AM. I'm a certified guide of the Shikoku 88, 20, and 36 Fudo Pilgrimage Sites Association. Most of my reviews are intended to help walking pilgrims.