Hotel Terao

I was in Niigata to visit Niigata University, and the staff were really kind. They were very helpful when I unexpectedly needed to extend my stay and when I needed to leave my large bags with them for a while. The room felt clean and pleasant. It's a bit of a walk from the station, but buses come close by when the timing works, so access is pretty good.

At check-in they couldn't find the guest list, and I waited about 10 minutes while they looked for it. It seemed they'd forgotten where they'd put it, then explained that things were a bit messy because of renovations after the earthquake. After I took a bath, I noticed there was no hair dryer. The front desk said hair dryers aren't kept in the rooms and offered to lend me one. That's fine, but when I asked why there had been no explanation or warning, they again blamed the earthquake renovations. The earthquake had nothing to do with these issues. Using it to excuse what seemed like an obvious mistake felt cowardly and dishonest. Maybe getting sympathy after being affected by the disaster had become a success story for them. Even if things are messy, a document with personal information shouldn't be handled carelessly. If it was an operational mistake, an apology should have been enough. There were no other rooms available, so I had no choice but to stay. For the price, the overall quality was poor, and I wouldn't stay again. The shared refrigerator was another drawback. It was a strange setup: there was a kettle, but no hair dryer.

The basic facilities were there, and we had a comfortable stay. We didn't eat at the hotel since we were only staying overnight and leaving early, though the food looked delicious. The annex has been renovated and is very clean and neat, even though it's in an area affected by the Noto Peninsula earthquake. JR Echigo Line stations and bus stops are on two main roads, making it convenient to use several routes.

We were helping our daughter move for university, and finding a room here was a lifesaver. After she was accepted, every other hotel we tried was fully booked. The room door seemed a little flimsy, but everything was clean and tidy, and it worked nicely for a family stay. We'd heard the food was delicious and plentiful, but our moving schedule was so tight that we couldn't tell when we'd have time to eat, so we had to skip it. We'll try it next time.