Wakayama Marina City Hotel

The room felt old and dated, with an old motel kind of vibe. The onsen was a five-minute walk away, but it was a public bath with lots of people and children. It was very noisy.

I was there on a work trip and it rained a bit. The hotel was pretty typical Japanese, with a great bath overlooking the view and a private balcony.

The food market nearby was the one bright spot. The hotel itself was a major letdown, and I wouldn't stay there again. We booked because the pool was advertised online, only to learn on arrival that it was closed because there was no lifeguard. Nobody had mentioned that when we booked. When we asked about it, staff laughed and said it was our fault for not calling ahead. The manager didn't speak English and didn't take our concerns seriously, and one desk employee was rude. The rooms are dated, the air conditioning is weak, and they tried to charge us again for breakfast that was already included.

The lower room price compared with city hotels and the free parking were definite pluses. Otherwise, the place feels very old-fashioned. We paid for a sea view but got a second-floor room with only a limited view. With the window open, we could hear people walking along the promenade. The sink's hot-water tap was very hard to turn, and the air conditioner made a loud motor noise even on low, so I had to switch it off to avoid a headache. The mattress was quite firm, almost like sleeping on a futon.