Fairfield by Marriott Tochigi Motegi

The staff were especially polite, even by Japan's already high standards. Our room was clean, stylish, and spacious enough, and parking was straightforward with no reservation needed. We stayed here to visit the Motegi circuit and Honda collection hall.

There’s a self-serve coffee machine, microwave, toaster, drinks fridge, and snacks in the lobby. Just keep in mind the drinks and snacks can’t be paid for with cash. We drove here in a rental car for the Honda Collection Hall, which my mom had booked the stay to visit. Service was great and the free Wi-Fi was fast all week, though there were a few spots in the toilet that hadn’t been cleaned. A roadside station is nearby, but when we went on Sunday its restaurants had closed by 5pm. There’s a 7-Eleven close by, luckily.

You’ll need a car to reach this hotel, though it’s close to the pottery shopping area. We drove into town for sushi and picked up drinks at 7-11 on the way back. The lobby also sells drinks, and there’s a pleasant seating area with free coffee and tea. The western-Japanese style is nice, and the room was really comfortable. I slept better here than at any other hotel in Japan, thanks to the bed and pillows. The website photos are cute, so I’ll leave it at that and won’t add any of my own.

A luxury feel without the high price, and the place was very clean. The shower was wonderful, the king-size bed came with plenty of American-style pillows, and there was good free coffee plus an outdoor deck to relax on. A convenience store is across the road, with lots of restaurants just a few minutes away by car. It’s very close to the Motegi Twin ring mobility center and race track. 10/10 for comfort and the stay, my first choice by far.