Quintessa Hotel Iseshima

The location is good, the stay is attractively priced, and reception was efficient throughout. Our room had excellent room service and amenities, but the lighting seemed poor and the window appeared to have a problem closing. Smoking and non-smoking rooms are available. Breakfast costs extra and includes a range of Japanese and Western foods. The service was unpleasant on the first day because two employees didn't welcome us well, though things went smoothly on the other days. My stay was pleasant overall, and I'd stay again if these minor issues were fixed.

The beds were comfortable, the rooms and bathroom were a good size, and everything was cleaned well. The bath was long and big enough for taller people. The rooms facing the street have a good sunrise view. They also have loaner bikes, though there's a gas station across the street and no interesting parks or walking paths nearby. It felt like a typical 90s business hotel, with plastic plants, synthetic bedspreads, and low-quality machine coffee. Breakfast had little to no choice for vegans and vegetarians. The reusable room amenities were high quality, but making everyone wear single-use plastic gloves at breakfast feels wasteful and gross. Why not reusable cotton ones? There were no robes or yukata in the room, just strange pajama sets and plastic-wrapped slippers.

The bed and room were comfortable, and the service was excellent. But when I stayed at Quintessa in early September, it was hot outside and the air conditioning was already on in my room. There were no room-by-room controls beyond on and off, and it was cold as a refrigerator. Even switching it off didn't stop the airflow.

I was here as part of a tour. The rooms were clean, but breakfast was a little below average and the dinner buffet was just okay. There isn't much to do around the area, and it felt odd that we had to hand in our keys whenever we left the hotel.