HOTEL R9 The Yard Tsukuba

The rooms here seem to vary a lot in quality compared with other container hotels, so be prepared if you stay. In the two-story container building, the first floor was quite noisy, just like the two floors above. Somehow I couldn't sleep there, even though I'd stayed in a cheap wooden apartment before. Along the road, the single-story hotel's containers sit directly on the ground, and there was quite a bit of vibration and shaking. Honestly, I'd choose a regular hotel or a container hotel that isn't placed right on the ground.

The main road made for terrible noise from large trucks passing morning to night, and the building shook a lot. Outside lights weren't on in the morning, so it was pitch black even at 5:30. Carrying our luggage down from the second floor and loading it into the car was scary and difficult. Check-in was bad too: three women were there, they struggled to confirm my reservation, and I waited 30 minutes. One of them looked very annoyed while talking to her superior, as if the problem were our fault. I was in a bad mood from the start. We were a couple staying two nights, but we got only one towel each day, so I had to go to the front desk every day. They should have noticed when collecting the towels. It felt like a complete lack of awareness, not just consideration, and it shocked me. At checkout, I was told to call to return the card outside business hours, then told it was fine to leave it in the room and they would check me out. It's disappointing how carelessly this was handled. Other R9 users don't seem to have this kind of experience.

The rooms are small-looking but actually deeper than a typical business hotel room, with a well thought out layout. The bed and bathroom were spacious and more comfortable than I expected. The built-in desk is small, though you can borrow a small table from the reception container. A loud sneeze echoes, so you still know you're in a container. The facilities are new and pleasant to use, though I'm a little concerned about how they'll hold up over time. With the containers set separately in a single-story layout, I didn't have to worry about neighbor noise. I barely saw other guests, unlike at business hotels, so I couldn't really tell who was staying there. You can only guess from the cars in the parking lot. R9 The Yard turns shipping containers into rooms, and it's one of the hotels I've wanted to try. The price is reasonable and includes frozen snacks, but you'll need a car or motorcycle. It feels a bit like an American motel. There were more rooms than I expected and the parking lot was spacious. Check-in is at the container reception: enter the six-digit code sent ahead, then take a photo on your phone of the room number and entry key number. You get a voucher for frozen breakfast food. There are about four options in the freezer, and you won't know which you like until you try them. The pilaf was the most satisfying. There's a welcome drink dispenser and an amenities corner, plus coin laundry and vending machines in a separate building. Access is from the opposite lane, so you have to go past the gas station and make a U-turn. Depending on the traffic light timing, you might not be able to turn. If you're in a hurry, it's easy to forget, so remember to check out at the container by reception.