Hotel Tamanoya

Good.

The room itself was very clean, and Railway History Park SAIJO next to the station was a real plus. There are Shinkansen, steam locomotives, and dioramas to see, and you can actually see and ride the Free Gauge Train. It teaches you about Shikoku's railway history, and adults and kids can both enjoy it. The stay, though, was nothing like what I booked through Agoda for three people on November 1. The listing said a 10-tatami Japanese-style room with a private hot spring bath, a view of the Amagi mountain range, and free parking. Instead we got an ordinary tatami room facing the station with a unit bath, and parking cost extra. I've never had a booking differ so much. I was glad I'd booked another hotel through Rakuten for the next day. When I called ahead about breakfast, they politely told me they don't serve it on Sundays, so I accepted that. But on arrival, after I called to say I'd be late and ask where to park, the response was rather grumpy. Even though I'd paid by card in advance, check-in took a long time because of the parking charge and my address, which was unpleasant. I also didn't like having to buy beer and tea at reception. It seemed to be one person working, and at 10 pm they didn't seem keen to help. The room had tatami and an air conditioner with fixed maximum and minimum settings, plus a fan, presumably for summer heat. The futon was thin, and the duvet cover only covered half of it?? My family and I wondered what was going on. The room might be fine if all you need is somewhere to sleep.

I stayed the night before climbing Mount Kamegamori and drove there. Even though it's right by the station, there's a large parking lot, which was convenient. I think parking was just 200 yen, so it was good value.

The location near Iyo-Saijo Station is convenient, but the room was a shock. Cigarette ash was scattered across the desk, so I wiped it with disinfectant tissues and checked the whole room myself because I wasn't sure it had been cleaned. The kettle was dirty and had a broken lid, the fridge door was sticky, the bathtub had mold, the toilet bidet didn't work, and the TV couldn't pick up terrestrial channels. The walls were so thin I could hear everything. It felt like they were making an effort to charge people for a place like this. (lol) Your impression probably depends on what you need from a hotel. If you only need a place to sleep, maybe it's acceptable. I'd heard Saijo was the “Water City” and expected it to be beautiful, but that was a complete surprise.