Park Inn

The heat barely worked, and my room was freezing even with the heater set to 30 degrees. The place smelled of smoke from people smoking in nearby rooms, and there didn’t seem to be any non-smoking rooms. Nothing appeared to be cleaned or maintained, which made the very early 930am checkout feel ridiculous. The staff seemed lazy. My room had years of dust and grime on every surface, even a bit on the bedding. The toilet was filthy and wasn’t cleaned during my stay, and as far as I could tell, neither was anything else. The shared bathroom is basic and divided into men’s and women’s shifts, but near the end of the men’s shift the older guys hogged the few showers for an hour each. There was a line right out the door. Renting rooms in this condition feels greedy, lazy, and disrespectful to guests. It’s shameful. I didn’t extend my stay for the month I’m here. I moved to a nearby room that was only a few hundred yen more and was actually clean. If all you need is a bare-bones place for one night and don’t care about dirt or cold, you could stay here. I can’t recommend it. Worst place I’ve stayed in all of Japan.

The public bath was pretty nice and clean, and you can borrow a towel for free from reception. There’s a schedule for using it. The building is old, the corridor is a little dark and honestly creepy at night. The room was basic and smelled strongly of smoke. Some of the toilets couldn’t be used.

The hallway has a horror movie feel, and I’d avoid looking too closely at the toilet. Still, it’s very cheap and handy for transit, and the receptionists are kind and speak good English. The rooms are acceptable if you only need somewhere for one night.

For a solo trip where money’s tight, it’ll do, but if you can afford a little more, I’d pick somewhere nicer. The rooms were freezing, the mattress and pillows uncomfortable, and the bath and shower are shared. There seems to be just one shower for the whole hotel, probably hundreds of rooms. People lock the shower room, so you can end up waiting. I waited over an hour and eventually had to leave without using it. To any Brits thinking they’ll save a bit and be fine, don’t bother. Spend a little more and go to a hostel. If you’re really strapped for cash and the choice is this or sleeping rough, then it’ll do.