Sotetsu Fresa Inn Nagoya-Shinkansenguchi

Getting around from here was easy. It’s about a five-minute walk to the Shinkansen entrance at Nagoya station, seven minutes to the Meitetsu bus terminal, and roughly three minutes to the nearest ESCA underground mall entrance. The bed frame was the biggest problem for us. The bed itself was fine, but its four posts wobbled. Maybe ours was an isolated case, but that’s what we experienced. The fridge is tiny, like at daiwa roynett, and has no freezer, so you’ll need to finish that little tub of ice cream. The hotel feels a bit dated, but it’s very clean. One unusual touch is that sleepwear is available in the lobby on each floor, so you can take some if you need it. The lobby also has a huge range of toiletries and extras: face and hair masks, toothbrushes, hair wax, hair irons, desk lamps, coffee, and tea. There’s no onsen or gym. They also say the water is treated through the sou bi sui purification system and is safe to drink and clean for showering. The cleaners were neat and well groomed. The front desk staff came across as oddly neutral, almost like robots.

The rooms are much tinier than they look in the photos, and there are fewer amenities than I’d expect at a typical Japanese hotel. It’s mainly aimed at foreign visitors and seems to charge extra for everything. The location is good, but I’d pay a little more per night for somewhere better.

There’s a convenience store around 50 meters away, and Nagoya station’s Shinkansen exit is about 500 meters from the hotel. The rooms are well below average in size, and breakfast isn’t included for free. On the ground floor you’ll find coin laundry, microwaves, instant coffee, and other personal care items.

The location worked well for us, with five convenience stores nearby and a large supermarket about a five-minute walk away. The station is roughly 7-10 minutes on foot, depending on which exit you use. Our room was so small there was no room to open a suitcase. I also messed up my bookings and ended up with overlapping reservations. I can’t remember the manager’s name, but he was really helpful. We had a very good stay.