Old England Dogo Yamanote Hotel

It's a quirky place, with teddy bears and other British themed bits scattered around. The staff are friendly, but the restaurant is painfully slow. Both mornings I waited 25 minutes for tea after ordering, and had finished breakfast by the time it arrived. The western breakfast was mediocre at best for an English themed hotel: no beans or toast, two fried eggs with hard yolks, and a single rasher of barely cooked bacon. Rooms are clean and basic, but the beds are very hard. It's a five minute walk to the old Onsen. If I come back to Matsuyama, I'd choose somewhere else.

I booked two nights here for my mother, and she said it was the best sleep she'd had in years. The staff were excellent, especially Hiromi at the front desk. The location in Dogo is great, and the hotel's own onsen, which I used as a guest, and the sauna were amazing. I highly recommend it.

After coffee and some delicious cakes, we were about to leave the hotel's restaurant when heavy rain started. We weren't hotel guests, but the staff kindly offered us umbrellas for free. A standard one costs about 324¥, so it was a very kind gesture. We decided to stay for a beer instead. The chairs are comfortable, the tables are huge, and the restroom looks fancy.

For a business trip, this feels almost too good, and it still fits the budget. Check-out is at 1200pm. Dogo Onsen, Japan's oldest hot spring, is a three minute walk away, and there are lots of great restaurants around. Must try.