HOTEL R9 The Yard Nakatsu

The rooms we had were spotless and more spacious than typical budget hotels. There was plenty of parking, plus laundry and some vending machines on site, and Family Mart is beside the hotel. The R9 setup works well here, with good privacy and security. I don't know whether there are attractions or notable places nearby, but the location was convenient and exceeded my expectations. The front desk employee was friendly and courteous, and her English was surprisingly good, which made it easy to communicate. We were very pleased with our stay, and I'd be happy to try another R9 location next time we're in Japan.

I was pleasantly surprised by how clean and authentic the room felt, and I slept comfortably. This was my first stay at R9, a container hotel I'd only heard rumors about. I usually travel on foot and wouldn't normally pick a chain mostly aimed at drivers, but the Emperor's Birthday holiday had accommodation across Japan in a stir, so I booked here. Getting around was awkward: both Higashinakatsu and Imazu Stations are over a 30-minute walk away. It seemed like a place for drivers, and I had no other options, but it exceeded what I expected. I was satisfied.

The friendly front desk staff kept us chatting for hours, and we were completely happy with the stay. Even the noise from other cars didn't bother us. We came for a trip to Usa Shrine, Oita Nakatsu fried chicken, and the kochia at Ruru Park, and choosing this place worked out really well. The container had twin beds, a refrigerator/freezer, microwave, TV, unit bath, toilet, and air conditioning. At the desk they provided a portion of frozen food, drinks were available until midnight, and there were amenities too. There's also coin laundry on site where you can wash and dry clothes in one go. We could park right outside. I'll definitely come back next year.

The place was quiet, clean, and convenient. The foreign staff were lovely and greeted us with lovely smiles. There are convenience stores and baths nearby, so getting food was no problem. I was curious about staying here and finally gave it a try. I took off one star because I wondered whether that was just normal for a hotel, not because I was dissatisfied.