Design Hotel Blax

We were in Japan for business and stayed at Hotel Blax for 14 nights, booked for two adults and one child. Our first room was extremely small. Once the staff realized our child was 16, they went out of their way to move us to their biggest room for the remaining two weeks without charging extra. Everyone was kind and helpful, and patient while we tried out the little Japanese we knew. The bed was comfortable, and the room could be cleaned daily on request. There were plenty of shops nearby, the mall was across the street, and the train station was two streets away. It's central to the downtown area, with lots of places to eat and shop. I'd stay here again and recommend it.

All the staff were wonderful, and we had such a good experience that we'd like to return. We stayed two nights and arrived before our 8 PM check-in with nowhere to go. The receptionist kindly pointed us to an open space downstairs and worked out an inexpensive plan so we could relax until check-in. The room was clean, comfortable, and just right for three people. When we were heading out after checking out on the second day, they offered to keep our bags. Later, we found they'd mistakenly prepared meals for only two people, so they apologized and invited us to choose three food items. That was amazing service. I highly recommend it.

I signed up as a member so I can come back. It was my first visit, during the day on a holiday, and I was looking for a non-smoking room. I was a little concerned that heated tobacco products were allowed, but there was no smell and I was comfortable. I picked a higher-grade room, and it matched the official website's description. There were lots of amenities, so arriving empty-handed was no problem, and I appreciated the coffee machine. Downstairs in the basement, there's a manga room with a decent selection, including current Jump issues and other major boys' magazines, plus a drink server guests can use while reading. The in-room dining menu had a good range of food and drinks, and the food tasted good. It's near Hachioji Station, though a little hard to find, and there are lots of restaurants around the station for meals or drinks. Free on-site parking isn't available, which is why I rated the location four stars. There are many Times and Mitsui Repark lots nearby, and for overnight stays Shimizu Park in front of the station seems to offer an affiliated service.

I chose it because the price was low, but the room cleaning was shockingly sloppy. There was blood on the mattress, and the room was scattered with countless specks of what looked like dust or white powder. The worst part was the shower, which was filthy and covered in red mold. The receptionist was pleasant and nice, but that didn't make up for the condition of the room.