Smile Hotel Nagoya Sakae

The room was clean and quiet, with a bathtub and a big bed, and the location was very convenient. It had almost everything I needed. I stayed from 1 Apr 2025 to 4 Apr, and this was one of the most satisfying hotel experiences of all my travels. The staff were helpful, especially the guy and the older guy with specs who worked the night shift on 1st Apr at 10.30pm. The girls at reception also helped me call the Airport on 3rd Apr at 4pm about my luggage problem. They were empathetic and did their best to help. The older guy greeted me whenever he saw me.

After we checked in, the staff were friendly and tried to help us, and Smile Hotel emailed promptly to process our refund. I appreciate them helping us, and thanks for sorting it out. My wife and I had booked two nights as a quick Nagoya pit stop, drawn by the low price. But the room smelled dusty and musty, with dust on the headboard and little couch seats. Wiping things down, I found several mini dust mites on the desk, bedframe and walls. We both have allergies, so we asked reception for a refund. The desk gave me a Japanese customer service number, and I borrowed their phone to call. The woman spoke English but kept asking for a 14-digit itinerary number. My Chase Travel confirmation email from months earlier had only a 9-digit confirmation number, and the hotel staff had that same number. Neither of us had the 14-digit one, so she couldn't find our reservation. She said she'd call later and speak with Japanese-speaking staff. I gave her my email for the result since I don't have a Japanese number. We were still waiting to hear back at the time. The staff were understanding, but the room quality and customer service line were poor.

Light from a billboard kept coming through the window, and I couldn't sleep.

For the price, it's a pretty good hotel. The rooms are well kept and about average in size for a hotel in Japan. The staff were friendly and spoke enough English for most important interactions. The bathrooms were fine, though the equipment is getting old and could use an upgrade.