Hotel Crown Hills Tokuyama

A good, economical place to stay.

The breakfast buffet had a simple but satisfying spread: rice, miso soup, curry, salad, spaghetti Napolitana, mapo tofu, hijiki seaweed, kinpira (fried stir-fried vegetables), grilled fish, and several drinks. A welcome drink and free breakfast were included, so it felt like very good value. I picked this affordable hotel near Tokuyama Station. The multi-story parking garage costs 500 yen per night, but it was full even for our number 5 car. The staff were very helpful in showing us around. At this price and quality, I’d come back next year. It’s well suited to business travelers trying to save money.

The room was clean and a reasonable size, and the unit bathroom was a little spacious. What spoiled the stay was the young man with glasses at the front desk. Parking was one of the main reasons I chose this hotel, but when I asked where it was, he came out looking listless and asked what kind of car I had. After I said it was a kei car, he brusquely said I couldn’t use the public parking lot and should go to a coin lot about three minutes away. I understand that a coin lot may be the only option if parking is full, but his condescending look and tone really upset me. Later I checked the website and found there was also a surface lot. I went to look, and there was a space available. I should have checked the website beforehand, but he never mentioned the surface lot or checked whether it had room. No matter how nice or cheap the room was, his attitude ruined it. The front desk staff training is seriously awful. If that’s how they train people, this hotel chain is unacceptable, and I’ll never stay at one of its hotels again. I’ve never had such an unpleasant hotel experience. If I’m back in the area, I’ll stay at the nearby AZ or Route Inn. It’s not about the price.

The freight trains were loud enough to disturb my sleep, and the air conditioning gave off a musty smell when heating. I’m sensitive to house dust and mold, so that was really unpleasant. My boyfriend tried the large public bath and was surprised by how unhygienic it was. The humidifier in a lobby corner had a “please feel free to use” sign, but it was clogged with dust and smelled moldy, so it was unusable. The room was tiny, with nowhere to open my carry-on, and the bed and blankets added to the disappointing impression. It felt less clean and convenient than hotels overseas I’ve stayed in. We needed a night in Tokuyama City for an idol group concert, and prices had shot up while all the nicer hotels were booked, so we chose this place. I was honestly surprised the quality was this low even at such a cheap price, though I could see why it was available. Some people might find it good value when there are no events and hygiene isn’t a big concern, but we didn’t find it comfortable.