Hotel Route-Inn Shimada Yoshida Inter

A strange smell greeted me when I entered the room, though in the end it didn't bother me. The first-floor public bath was very nice, and the weekend price was pleasantly cheap.

This seemed like good value and was easy to reach from the highway interchange. It felt like a typical Route Inn, and the breakfast was good by Route Inn standards. I wished they had steamed vegetables. On earlier trips I'd eaten out, but this time I tried the Route Inn restaurant for dinner. It was busy, so perhaps the wait was unavoidable, but even though I only ordered a few drinks, the food took a while to arrive. I also found myself wishing there were an evening buffet.

It has some age to it, but it's a standard Route Inn split between a main building and annex. The rooms work better for getting things done than sofa-style rooms, with backed chairs, tables and desk lamps. Both large baths are gender-separated and open from 5am. There are four showers, and they seem to stay busy, with three people using them at once. Breakfast is tasty and typical for a Route Inn. When the hotel is full, an employee helps guests find seats, so you don't have to wander around. A large supermarket is directly across the road, while the nearest convenience store is a 3-4 minute walk away. One small quirk: switching off the TV leaves it on, but the air purifier does turn off, so you have to switch it on again whenever you enter the hotel.

It's very near Yoshida Interchange, though there don't seem to be many bars within walking distance. The room and breakfast were okay, and the small public bath was nice.