Mango Hotel Miyazaki

For fellow gaijin travelers: this is a self-check-in and check-out place, so you can't leave bags with the front desk. There are paid coin lockers in a room just outside the lobby, about 600 yen. My first self check-in was straightforward, but taking a photo of your passport on a tablet feels like an identity-theft risk. There is staff on site, though they're behind a closed door. Use the call button or knock if you need help. To enter, press the square button on the keypad, type your room code, then hit the 'E' key. When leaving, check that the door prop at the bottom hasn't swung down and stopped the door from closing. It happened to me, and I had to flip it up so the door wouldn't stay ajar. I think the hotel should remove the prop for security reasons. I took a photo to show what I mean. I'd read other reviews mentioning mold, but my room was clean, the air conditioning smelled fresh, there was no mold in the bathroom, and the bed linens were fresh. Maybe I got lucky or cleaning improved. I did notice some dust in the room. The 1 tachibanadori ii chome 1chome bus stop is across the street, with service to and from Miyazaki station. It's about 210 yen each way and takes around 10 minutes. Walking to Miyazaki Station takes about 20 minutes. The standard Japanese-style buffet breakfast is on the ninth floor. Give them your name and room number; the food is good and there's a nice view. I think the building used to be a mansion residence. For a budget hotel, you get pretty good value for the space. The self check-in felt off-putting at first, but I got over it. I'm not picky and don't usually write hotel reviews, but wanted to help fellow travelers.

The room was spacious and clean, with some basic cooking amenities, and there were free self-service snacks as a small consolation. But check-in was lengthy and unfriendly. Neither the name search nor check-in ID worked at the self-service terminal, so staff on duty had to provide a new ID, and it took several tries before we got in. The hotel also won't store luggage, so you have to use nearby paid lockers. That left us feeling unwelcome.

This was one of the most frightening and disappointing experiences I've had while traveling. After we left our room, we later found the door wide open. We were worried about our safety and asked hotel staff to help and call the police. They said police wouldn't come unless property was missing. Only after we insisted and said we'd call ourselves did they say police would come. When officers arrived and checked CCTV, they said there was a blind spot, so they couldn't tell how or when the door had opened. They also claimed the footage showed us not looking back to check the door as we left. That's completely untrue. It left us feeling that the hotel and police were trying to avoid responsibility and cover things up. We weren't asking for money or compensation, just a clear explanation. Instead, we got denial, blame-shifting, and no accountability. The staff's attitude made us feel helpless and even less safe. The incident reminds us of the recent case at APA Hotel, where a solo female traveler found a man hiding under her bed. That case and ours point to what we see as serious security risks in some Japanese hotels, with poorly placed or insufficient CCTV that doesn't protect guests. Other travelers should be aware that we felt we couldn't count on help when we needed it. Even the police seemed more focused on calming things down than finding out what happened. We hope the hotel reflects on this and improves its safety measures, but as things stand, we can't recommend it.

That mango tea was a favorite, and my room was fabulous. I really enjoyed staying at this hotel.