Guest house Hidamari - Vacation STAY 65582v

The room was comfortable and well cleaned. The shower is now a unit without a bathtub, and there’s a number lock on the front door. The kitchen is for self-catering, though its equipment is a little old. There’s an electric kettle, but the hardened calcium buildup makes it unsuitable to use, and the microwave is small. Everything is shared, so whether it feels comfortable depends on the other guests. Maybe that’s part of a guesthouse’s charm. We should all use the place with good manners.

It’s clean, and towels are provided. The location is handy in the city center, with three convenience stores within walking distance. There are no meals, and because everything is so convenient, guests don’t interact much. It’s an unusual setup, with a separate owner and usually a hired manager running the place. I can’t say for sure how it feels with a different manager, since their personality probably makes a difference. The manager when I stayed was a lot of fun. The lights go off early, though, which may make it harder for guests to mingle.

I only found out after arriving that the single room I’d booked was actually a shared room. The website listed single rooms but didn’t make clear that they were for women only. The men’s shared room on the first floor had eight bunks, and the air conditioning wasn’t switched on until 10:30 pm. In Miyako Island’s summer heat and humidity, that was really unbearable.

There’s a San-A supermarket close by, plus several bars within walking distance. The downtown area takes a little over five minutes to reach on foot, though the guesthouse itself is in a quiet residential neighborhood. Drivers should watch out for the one-way street if coming by car or motorcycle. There’s a shared kitchen and fridge, and showers are open around the clock. Laundry is 200 yen per load, with the dryer costing 200 yen for 60 minutes.