Hotel Trusty Nagoya Shirakawa

The rooms had plenty of space by Japanese standards, and the staff were lovely. They even brought us a cot for our baby, which was much appreciated. We booked four rooms for our big family and had a really good stay in Nagoya. Sakae worked out perfectly: our spot was quiet, but bars, restaurants, shops, GU, Uniqlo and Donki were all an easy walk away. 7/11 and Family Mart were right downstairs. The lobby is on the second floor, though getting there wasn't a problem since staff can reverse the escalator if needed. We'd happily come back.

The cigarette smell hit us as soon as we entered the room, even though we'd reserved a non-smoking one. I told the front desk right away, but staff couldn't speak English, so we used a translation app. Nothing was done about it. Getting in was frustrating too. The lobby is upstairs on the second floor, and the escalator was being maintained, so I had to haul my luggage up the stairs. They also only provide two bottles of water a day. There's no dispenser, and they wouldn't give me more. I've stayed at over 50 different hotels on trips to Japan, and this was the most awful room I've experienced. A real disappointment.

Everyone in our group enjoyed staying here. The rooms are cosy, nicely furnished, and the beds and pillows were really good. Service was great too, and they helped us right away.

Breakfast choices were limited, and the service finishes at 8am, which was the worst part for me. The lobby is on level 2, and getting big suitcases up the tiny escalator isn't easy.