Takaoka Manten Hotel Ekimae

The staff were outstanding, and the sentou and amenities were nice. I also liked being able to choose a pillow type for my needs. The hotel is very close to Takaoka station and a konbini. The room was small, and the air conditioning was terrible. It was winter, and even on the lowest setting the room felt like an oven. Luckily we could still open the window to let the heat out.

It gets quiet early around here. In the evening, everything nearby apart from the station soon closes and settles down for the night. The budget hotel is built beside a local railway station, with a passage connecting them. My room was clean and contemporary, and the bed was a good size, but it took up space and left me feeling squeezed in.

I booked through Rakuten Travel, where the default offer appeared to be a basic rate. It was actually a special rate with conditions, but those weren’t explained clearly. They were shown off screen, with no clear sign that any such conditions existed. At check-in, the front desk brushed aside my explanation and said the hotel wasn’t responsible for Rakuten’s mistake. They cancelled my booking and rebooked me on the spot at roughly 40% more. I wasn’t given a chance to book again through Rakuten, so I lost the points I would have earned, worth about a 10% discount. I don’t accept Manten Hotel’s position. The error may have been Rakuten’s, but Manten Hotel provides the service and should make sure its offering is marketed accurately and ethically. When a problem is raised at the hotel, they should make some effort to keep the customer satisfied. A flippant dismissal was unacceptable. I felt strong-armed into accepting their ultimatum, and didn’t feel valued. The rooms also aren’t well appointed and weren’t worth the price they demanded. There are much better places at more reasonable prices. I would have gone elsewhere, but I was checking in after midnight with 18 inches of snow on the ground, so that wasn’t feasible. This was my first stay at a Manten Hotel, and I won’t use their facilities again.

The hotel itself is quite fine and even a bit exquisite, with a good location, helpful staff, and services that all worked as expected. I’m not trying to leave a bad review. The more expensive rooms are probably much better. But I’m here now in the smallest room, since I usually pick the cheapest option, and it’s much smaller than I expected from the website. At the same price, I usually get a much better room at a Route Inn Hotel, with a wardrobe, more space, a much better fridge, and breakfast included. This fridge barely fits a small bottle of water, and there’s no comparison. So if, like me, you usually choose a cheap room for one night, this probably isn’t the right hotel. There are better options for the same price.