Mori no Guest House - Hostel

It's incredibly convenient, just minutes from the two stations, and I rented a bike to explore, riding out to Nara. Yoshino park was also an easy train ride away. The place was spotless, especially the sparkling bathroom, and I appreciated having towels to use. I loved the big mats downstairs for stretching and the kitchen I could use. The mattress wasn't for me, though. It had little plastic tubes inside that made it uncomfortable and noisy whenever I moved. I'd like better beds, but I'd still happily stay again.

The boy at reception was so helpful and nice, and the service was attentive. They give you lots of basic amenities for free, with extras available cheaply. The whole place smells clean and pleasant, partly because much of the interior is wood and has that fresh wood scent. It was also really quiet, and everyone followed the rules respectfully. Such a big difference from the last hostel I stayed at. This was the best hostel of my whole trip around Japan. Thanks for an amazing stay :)

The bathrooms were super clean, the staff were very nice, and the JR line is just two minutes away. But the rooms are small and have no doors, and the beds felt like sleeping in wooden coffins. The shared kitchen and common area looked sad. When I arrived, there was a strange smell. I couldn't tell if it came from the wood being cut downstairs or the hosted dinner, but it wasn't pleasant. On my way out I also saw a dead cockroach on the stairs.

I contacted the guesthouse through booking.com to ask whether my luggage had arrived, but they never replied. Then there was a party on the first floor that was still going at 22h, with drunk, noisy people. That was very disrespectful. The rooms were tidy and clean, and there were plenty of replacement towels, which is why I gave it a 2.