Hotel The Centre Utsunomiya

Avoid this place if you need a non-smoking hotel. I've stayed in over 50 hotels around Japan, including many cheaper ones, and this was the worst. I paid about 7000 yen for one night in a non-smoking room, but the whole hallway reeked of cigarette smoke and there was a lingering smoke smell in my room too. The hotel is above a hostclub/bar, and smoke wafts into the elevator area. I'm very sensitive to cigarette smells, so I didn't feel comfortable staying there. The room was dirty and old. The previous guest's garbage was still in the bin and the toilet hadn't been flushed. Long hairs were stuck to the desk and tables with some sticky substance, the carpet was filthy and ugly, and there was oddly colored liquid in the kettle. I didn't even want to take off my shoes. The lamps were at head height and should have been easy to clean, but looked like they hadn't been dusted in over a year. It felt as though they'd only changed the towels and sheets, while missing many obvious things. The key was cumbersome, attached to a wooden stick too big for a pocket, and the door used an old physical lock instead of a keycard. The alarm clock and chargers built into the desk were inconvenient, and the fridge barely got cold. At least the lobby was nice. I only had one night booked, so I quietly took my luggage and slept in an internet cafe instead, then returned the awkward key at checkout the next morning. The location is good and there's a FamilyMart downstairs, but even if they paid me 10000 yen, I wouldn't stay here. Seriously, avoid it.