Hotel Maruji

The room was tiny, and noise carried from the hallway and neighboring rooms. In the middle of the night, I woke up to guests coming back from drinking and someone using water. The staff at the front desk were very courteous. It's a bit far from JR station, but right in central Utsunomiya and near Tobu station.

It's handy for the station, and the TV can connect to the internet. But the unit bathroom was badly cleaned. There were several hairs as soon as I walked in, more tangled in the drain, dust all over the vent, and red water stains between the tub and sink. I can put up with a small room and worn facilities, but not cleaning that misses even the basics. It left me distrustful and added stress instead of helping me relax. If staff just take a quick look and ignore anything they don't notice, the hygiene is on the level of a cheap love hotel.

I've stayed a few times, and the front desk staff have been unfriendly. Their knowledge varies, and when they need to look something up or later fix a mistake, they leave you waiting without an explanation or apology. The location is good, and the price is cheap, but that's about it. The rooms are dim, cramped and have thin walls. The main light doesn't come on, so you're left with the bedside and desk lamps. You can hear an alarm from at least two rooms away, and hallway conversations come through even when you're not listening for them. The lobby is the only nice part, as other reviews say.

The guest rooms have an old Showa-era feel, and they're dated. The first-floor entrance is the only clean-looking part. Getting here takes about five minutes by bus from JR Utsunomiya Station, and there's a 7-Eleven right next door.