Hotel Alpha-One Sabae

👍 Nice.

Getting to the station is easy, and you can still check out just five minutes before your train leaves. My room this time was roomy, with a big, comfortable bed. The bathroom cleanliness was harder to judge. I found seven or eight hairs in the sink and tub, though I can't tell whether they were left by the previous guest or the cleaning staff. The floor has a dark pattern that makes stray hairs difficult to spot, so I wondered if a manager could check rooms after cleaning. The TV was dated too, with a bulky body, small screen, and what seemed like low resolution.

There's plenty of parking, and the hotel is right across from the station. You can get food and drinks easily, with a convenience store at the station and a pub on the first floor. For a souvenir, I'd suggest Kokuryu, the sake exclusive to Fukui Prefecture. The liquor store at the back sells it.

I always book non-smoking rooms at hotels because I want to sleep without cigarette smells. I don't smoke at home, either, and when I do use my IQOS, it's in designated smoking areas. So being questioned at check-in about whether I'd smoked the day before felt awful. I said I hadn't and had thrown out my trash, but they kept saying my IQOS smell was terrible and that there was a new pack on the desk. I was made to feel very uncomfortable, and I'll never forget the suspicious look in your eyes. I've never had anyone say this to me before. I won't stay at Alpha One again. Lesson learned, a cheap hotel isn't always the best choice.