Hotel M＆M Soma

Stores and restaurants are a bit of a walk away. The room itself was like a standard business hotel. It's a two-story building with no elevator, so moving big luggage was a little tough.

I was here for work and found the place clean and comfortable. With a convenience store nearby and Marumatsu next door, getting something to eat or drink was easy.

I won't stay here again. There were problems with the room and the service from the moment I tried to book. I called to reserve a week and was told, after a pause, that only single rooms were available on one of the dates. As we talked, I learned the hotel was so full that I couldn't keep the same room for consecutive nights and would have to move almost every day. The explanation was very unclear. There are Western rooms with private bathrooms and Japanese-style rooms without them, at different prices, but none of that was explained up front. Instead I got comments like, “On this day, you'll have a Japanese-style room,” and “On this day, there's no window.” By the time I managed to finish booking, I was already frustrated. When I called to say I'd be a little later than the check-in time I'd given, they said, “If it's past 10 o'clock, the system...” I had no idea what they meant by the system, but checked in a little late anyway. The receptionist seemed to be the same person who'd taken my earlier call, and the roundabout explanations were irritating. I tried the room light switch when I arrived, but it didn't work, even after several attempts. I used my phone flashlight to look around, found a light remote on a table at the back, and got the light on that way. What a frustrating setup. There was a capsule coffee machine with a sign inviting guests to use it, but no capsules. I went to sleep thinking, “Oh well.” When I came back the next day, a black box with coffee capsules had appeared in the room. They must have forgotten them the day before. There was also a welcome card on the box saying something like a complimentary bottle of mineral water was provided to have with the coffee, but I couldn't find any water in the room. At the front desk, a different person looked puzzled and rather firmly said, “Only at check-in.” I hadn't received one then. After asking more, I found out that guests get a bottle at check-in and another if they hang the eco-cleaning card on the door for a light cleaning. No one had told me this before. When I said I hadn't heard about it and hadn't received either bottle, they chuckled and said something like, “The person from yesterday... I'll tell the person from yesterday.”

The staff were friendly, and I'd be happy to stay here again if I'm back in the area. There are several restaurants and daily necessities nearby, including Kawachi Pharmacy, and York Benimaru is only a short drive away. The Japanese-style room was roomy and comfortable, though it was smoking-only and didn't have a bathroom or toilet. Most rooms are Western-style, with smoking and non-smoking options and versions with or without a bathroom and toilet. There are about seven free washing machines, and you can use them by shifting your laundry time a little. Coffee, tea, and drip coffee are provided free in each room.