Well, if you don’t mind getting cheap hotels then read on coz I’m a cheapo traveller.
Osaka
Location : 4/5
It took us more than 15mins to get to the hotel the first time as we had to orientate ourselves without any GPS (Strange! As we did put in the Japan SIM card in the plane) and in the ☔️. Argh! The worst thing is to struggle with luggages in the rain.
Subsequently it got easier as we can find our way around. The nearest subway exit/entrance is only a 3mins walk, very clear cut from the hotel by walking straight and then turn right. The only setback is that the exit/entrance point do not have any escalators, won’t be easy for people with leg problems.
Dotonbori - the famous stretch is only about 5 minutes walk away. How good can that be? The place where a whole stretch of food stalls and snack stalls entice one’s appetite into a crazy frenzy.
As what che-che noticed there were love hotels around our area 🤭, so ….. ok at least the cheapo me didn’t book our accommodation wrongly by the hour.
Amenities in room : 5/5
Not sure if this is a fair review coz basically I’m a traveller who only need the basic needs, I don’t need luxurious hotel stay.
The room is small at 13sqm with a small double bed but for only 2 nights, I can put up with it…. until I was left in the cold 🥶 when che-che pulled the blanket and cocooned herself in it. It’s pretty small with not much walking space, thus proving why I don’t like to travel with too many luggages (still can’t comprehend how some people can travel with more bags than people)
Since the small luggage is redundant and empty, I left it standing at a corner. Anyway, what che-che suggested after that was to put the gifts for Aunty Mio and our snacks purchases in the small luggage for the trip so we don’t have to open up the luggage.
Anyway back to the small double bed, it’s small for two fatsos. Che-che commented the bed is comfy. Of course lah! She slants her body towards me leaving me no space, face almost smacking the wall. Only 2 nights, after that the rest of our trip’s bedding should be more comfortable. Suffer first enjoy later! I really live up to my motto huh?
Bathroom
Japanese style - I love it. But if only there’s a heater inside. Our undergarments didn’t dry even after we had it out for 2 nights. And there isn’t a rack inside for me to hang my hanger.
Himeji
This is the only accommodation that I’m looking forward to. Even the most expensive luxurious one in Hiroshima doesn’t excite me that much.
Capsule hotel カプセルホテル. Lots of capsule hotels around the world for solo travellers but what can one go wrong with a capsule hotel in Japan? The cleanliness maintained in any cheap accommodation and I’m sure even in love hotels (not that I’ve been to one 😂) will be up to standard to the luxurious 6* hotels. I can’t say much about capsule hotels in other countries but maybe I won’t mind trying it out.
LOCATION : 5/5
It’s located near to Himeji Station, only need to drag luggages for less than 5mins.
It’s located in a 7 storey building, taking up 2 floors.
Personally I like to have my accommodation near to a main train station as I don’t like to drag my luggage up onto a tram.
AMENITIES : 6/5
Where do I begin? Everything is so fresh, so interesting to me so…… I snap 📸 at whatever things I see 😂.
After checking in, we had to use the access card to tap into the area which is gender separated (ladies on 7F where the check-in counter is, Gents on 8F). One can also use this card to gain access into the relaxation corner on another level where hot and cold drinks are provided, even corn soup. If one gets too hungry and lazy to pop by the nearest Lawson (only 110m ?), there are 3 vending machines in the relaxation corner. 2 drinks and 1 instant noodles vending machines.
Anyway, back to the access area. Once we go into the wow wow area, we remove our shoes and put it in the locker (Number remains the same for the locker number and our bed) and use the disposable slippers provided.
There’s a place to lock up our luggages. I was smart enough to tell girl to combine whatever we need into one packing cube on our last night in Osaka. So once we get into the capsule hotel, we only needed to bring out that packing capsule and the toiletry bag.
Che-che wanted to go on the lower bunk
letting her mother climb up to hers 😭, she didn’t want to change with me. So I’m not sure if the bottom bunk is noisier with the slippers pik piak pik piak sound if people are walking around.
There weren’t many people staying then so … anyway I’m glad it’s not crowded.
Our bunks are slightly bigger than the rests. I had this thought when I was in Osaka - will I feel like I’m sleeping in a coffin? Hmm… luckily I don't have claustrophobia. Thanks to 💤 in the much smaller crew bunk as training ground.
This area is near the shower and toilet facilities. I tried to walk softly but the slipper still make that sound even on carpeted flooring. Noisy area I feel, I would probably need an earplug to sleep. So a note to myself is to put in a request next time (if I’m doing this again) to be away from bath area.
Shower area
Our public pools have to learn to do this. The wet and dry area is separated by a door.
Basin area aka wash her socks and undergarments area 😅
Makes one feel like he’s/she’s in an onsen
How can I forget they have this in capsule hotels? I took out our dirty laundry and did all the laundry here. We would have done the laundry the next day anyway so might as well just do it here.
The thing about laundry area in hotels - I don’t like to do it so hubby always have to be the one doing it. Coz I have a thing about leaving the room and go to another level, and coming back and need to shower and change clothings again. But this is different, I did it when we finished our shower so I was still stuck in the same spot waiting while FaceTiming lil’ one. I love it that the aircon here is colder too!
I only left to go to the lounge while it is in the dryer. Non-smoking throughout the whole place. A big yay!
Something caught my eye and then I remembered Tanabata. OMG! Isn’t that tomorrow? But pity they don’t hold any festivals here so…
Hanging my tanzaku on the bamboo branch. Wah…must complain why the pen like got no ink like that?! Will I get my wishes granted?
Inside each pod is a TV, headset, charging points, a cabinet with lock.
I’m glad we’re given ours in an area separated by a door, less noisy, but I think it was kept open in the night. I get to be the security guard 🤭 as my bed is the first top bunk.
Goodnight world!
Anyway, I didn’t cover my shade fully coz I was feeling hot inside and needed the cold air draft from outside. The fan inside the pod doesn't seem to work effectively as the sound it made. I took out my portable fan just incase I needed it for the night.
I moved around the mattress to feel which is a cooler and comfortable spot. Eventually I chose to sleep near the “curtain”. But che-che said it was comfortable for her. Maybe coz all she did was to sit inside her pod and watch TV 🙂 (her boy band was on TV) while I couldn’t rest still but go to the dryer; come back with hot hot clothes and did the folding. I was moving about so much. Whatever has happened to the “I’m not packing or washing your clothes for you all the next holiday” statement I made in March?
Woke up twice, once when there was a lady coming in and the last one was when I suddenly felt cold. Haha! Never cover myself with blanket and slept near the entry point for the last 4hrs 不冷才怪. Moved back to the normal sleeping position after that for another 2hrs of sleep.
I woke up the next day feeling refreshed; reborn 😂 (not from waking up from a coffin) and super ready to set off for Hiroshima our next destination.
I would want to do this again. This is really good for solo travellers when one only needs a bed, a place to shower and best - a place to do their laundry. I can totally stay in capsules for my solo travels and IF I DO have the opportunity. Che-che likes this too. Why wouldn’t she? She has the TV on with her fav boy band. She has her own bed confined in her own space and not hearing her mother snoring.
I saw a family of 4 in the lounge and was wondering how cheap can it be for them to stay in a capsule hotel. The only advantage I can think of is nobody fights for the toilet to shower or need to take turn for the 🚽 if it’s a family.
Hiroshima
This is the most expensive hotel booked for 3 nights. It’s a 4* hotel, and I was granted a high floor castle view. Woah! After having stayed in budget hotels in most holidays, I wasn't used to the atas smell in lobby, staffs attired in full suit and .... I feel rich. Haha! I paid good money for this.
At the entrance to our room. Directly opposite is the toilet cum bathroom. And there's a not-so-obvious partition between this spot and the room area. I like it this way as it gives me the idea to separate everything away.
King bed. Big enough for che-che and me. As usual, she will always chope the space where the socket is. I should have set the rules for her to let me have the space prior to leaving SIN. We had comfortable 3 nights in this hotel. I would love to be back here again.
LOCATION 5/5
It’s not that close to the main station so will need to take a streetcar for less than 10 stops. Relatively fast especially when one spends her time taking pictures and videos. Before I knew it, it was our stop.
It’s walkable to Hondori shopping arcade, the main sights around Peace Memorial Park.
Hotel is connected to a shopping mall, Pacela, which we didn't explore much. Ha! Just like the time we stayed in Canal City in Dec. Perhaps it's a good hint for me to come back Hiroshima.
AMENITIES 6/5
Since I paid so much for this accomodation, the amenities better be good. The room slippers are not the disposable type and they do change the slippers daily. It's nice to come back to the hotel to use a new pair of sterilised slippers after a day out under the rain (of course I washed my feet before putting on the slippers.
For a 4* hotel, I'm surprised they don't have ironing board and iron in the room. Not even room service!! The nearest Lawson is in Kencho-Mae station, less than 5mins walk away.
Fukuoka
Another 3 nights here before we say goodbye to Japan. As we're familiar with the little back streets here + che-che's good orientation skills, the 6mins (450m) walk from Hakata Station is even shorter. As compared to our previous 2 accomodations in Fukuoka in Dec, this hotel is so much closer and easier to get to the main station.
LOCATION 6/5
For this, I'll give it a 6/5 as I always prefer my accomodation to be near a main train station.
It's not near any major shopping mall but anyone will know that a main train station in any Japan cities is a shopping mall itself.
Family Mart and Lawson is just across the street.
AMENITIES 5/5
We were given a room in North Wing, I have no idea how the hotel room looks like in the other Wing. Every level has a different country theme. We were given 4th floor which is New York theme. Such coincidence.
The room itself is compact, although the room size is 4 sqm larger than Osaka's, I think the twin beds made the room look smaller. Nonetheless I'm glad I chose to sleep comfortably for the last 7 nights in Japan.
I only need to give up on the inconvenience every day we return back to hotel with the big luggage opened for a few hours. So it’s good to travel with less luggages. Learn to be like me, travel light and be an ah-soh! Honestly I can’t imagine if our family of 4 squeeze into this small hotel room (a comfortable size for our family of 3 fatsos would be above 30sqm)
This is what I meant by the inconvenience. The larger luggage is opened up for few hours until I had taken out the next day’s clothes and pack in the dirty laundry into the plastic bag after our shower. Bag is then closed and left standing by the wall.
The smaller luggage with pink bag is pushed to the fridge, in this picture it’s next to the basin and we’re still accessing the things in the fridge 😃.
The wash basin is in the room itself. Really weird. Stool is really useless there, can’t push in either.
Love Japanese bathroom. No heater in this also. Anyway, we didn’t have to do anymore laundry here, planned the number of clothings, undergarments n socks just nice for this 3 nights stay and had whatever needs to be laundered in Hiroshima hotel.
Room cleaning - citing a reason something related to eco receptionist mentioned that they usually clean a room after 3 days. Honestly speaking, I wish it was indicated in booking.com website about this. They don’t change towels but if we need a change we can put our used towels in a bag and hang it on our door before 10am or was it 11am? (anyway I’m long out of my room at that time 🤭)
After the first night, I asked for room cleaning but it wasn’t conveyed to the housekeeping. 🧐 Imagine my shock when I saw the trash not cleared when we got back from Nagasaki. We had 2 nights of trash, the next morning on the 3rd day (12th) I saw an old lady cleaning another room and I asked her to help me clear my trash. As usual we hung our used towels at the door to be changed.
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