Hotel Route Inn Shikoku Chuo - Mishimaka

We stayed 20250322-24, and it worked well as a stop on a self-driving trip. It's close to a motorway exit, with a huge car park and wide roads around it, so it was easy to find. Since this isn't a popular tourist city, the hotel was relatively cheap. Breakfast came with the room, and while it wasn't luxurious, it was enough to get the day started. I hadn't known this hotel chain before, but it seems to have opened a lot of new hotels since last year. Hope it gets more popular. The city itself was the problem for us. We could smell something like seabed trash in the air from early morning to late at night. That's a city issue, though. The hotel's onsen is also quite small for the size of the hotel, despite it calling itself an onsen hotel. We got a coin for a free beer when we chose not to have the room cleaned on the second day, and our room had a good city view.

The hotel is new and has free parking, and the breakfast was good quality. The breakfast staff were hardworking, too. But the service didn't feel worth the price. The young woman handling check-in had no smile. I wondered if she was busy or tired, or just not friendly to tourists. It wasn't the usual warm welcome I associate with Japanese hospitality. Zero staff for that young lady! So, 3 stars.

The restaurant on the first floor served generally delicious meals, and you can see the huge smokestacks along the coast belching out smoke. The hotel began operating in summer 2022 and has an onsen bath just for guests. The room was new and clean, with enough space, a modern look, and a good-sized bed. It also had a 50 inches android TV, so I could watch YouTube, NETFLEX, and other things from bed.

The room was spacious and I really enjoyed the stay. The hotel has a public bath, a decent breakfast, and a large parking lot. I guess it's the best hotel in the city, though it costs a little more than other hotels in town.