HOTEL R9 The Yard Otawara

January 2026 addendum: I came back because the first stay had been so good, but the bathroom smell was still there, and this time even the pillow smelled. Deodorizing spray only helped for a few minutes. I wasn't sure a room change would help, the front desk had closed, and I was tired, so I put up with it and went to bed. The smell was so bad that I could barely sleep, and it got into my hair too. At checkout I told the front desk, but they just treated me like a shilling. I'm fed up. This place may suit people who don't notice, or can't smell, an odor because they have one themselves. September 2025: The place seemed new and clean. The bathroom faucets and mirrors had no marks, and there wasn't dust anywhere. Even as a clean freak with sensitive senses, I could tell it was spotless. If I had to nitpick, there was body odor in the unit bathroom, but the provided disinfectant spray got rid of it right away. There was no internal phone line, so calling the front desk meant going outside, which I suppose is acceptable. At check-in, they gave me a frozen bento and a drink. Maybe I was just lucky, but the stay was really cheap and great value. It's a bit out of the way, so it suits people who don't mind that.

The rooms were far enough apart that I could work in peace, and the room itself was comfortable and very clean. I could adjust the TV settings however I wanted. At checkout, a female staff member was considerate of my sleep disorder, which I really appreciated. Thank you very much.

For this trip I picked a bento with simmered chicken and burdock as the side dish. The frozen breakfast bento menu was a big plus, and parking right outside made coming and going easy. I’d stayed at this brand’s hotel in Oyama before, next to the main road with great access, but passing trucks sometimes caused vibrations. The Otawara hotel is a little away from the main road, so I didn’t feel any vibrations and slept soundly. I booked it for a walk in Nasu Highlands because it was the only hotel available that day. I’ll stay again, thanks.

I like that they have an air purifier and humidifier, and the place is very clean. This was my second stay. Since it’s a container, it shakes when two people move around inside. It startled me because I thought there was an earthquake, and I nearly felt a little motion sick.