Happiness Inn

I wouldn’t pick this for sightseeing. It may work if you need a private room with a table and chair, but if all you want is somewhere to sleep, a capsule hotel seems better. There were several gnats in the room, even though it was autumn. Later, around 4:45 AM, a strange engine noise woke me up. If noise bothers you easily, you’d probably want to avoid it. This is a place that seems to put price first.

The elderly man at reception was kind, though he seemed a little hard of hearing. You can ask the front desk for a hairdryer. After reading the reviews, I was shown to a large room converted from a coffee shop. It wasn’t spotless and there were some bugs, but I’d expected that and it didn’t bother me. I’m unsure about staying here for a business trip where you need a stress-free setup, but it was certainly an unusual place that made the trip memorable.

Breakfast is included, and with the low price it feels like a great deal. Toyama Station is close by, so getting around is easy.

For two people we paid 6000 yen, which is inexpensive, but based on my experience there are better hotels at the same price. The room had no shampoo, hairdryer, or toothbrush. I did borrow shampoo and a hairdryer, though it would be much more convenient to have them in the room. I wanted to call reception to ask about supplies, but the phone in the room was so dirty that I used my own smartphone. The elderly gentleman who helped me was hard of hearing, and I would have preferred automated check-in. I wasn’t expecting much service at this price, but the overall cleaning really hasn’t kept up. Wallpaper in the guest rooms was yellowed and torn, with mold in some spots, and there were stains and dirt on the floors. It gave parts of the place an almost foreign atmosphere in Toyama. The rooms are all non-smoking, yet mine smelled of cigarettes and incense, as did the other rooms I looked at. There’s also a large cigarette vending machine in the lobby. The key doesn’t lock automatically: you have to press a button inside and slam the door, which makes a loud bang every time.