Toyoko Inn Nara Shin-Omiya Ekimae

Our room was entered while we were out even though the “privacy / do not disturb” sign was present on the door. Having traveled to over a dozen countries, I am shocked this occurred in Japan. To the average person it may seem inconsequential but to me this is a huge deal, disappointment and invasion of privacy. Absolutely unacceptable. Clean clothing was basically moved to/left on the floor and personal items were disturbed. Before you ask, no this isn’t an issue of using the wrong door sign or a language barrier- see photo for privacy sign that clearly reads “do not disturb”. The front desk staffed apologized for the slight and indicated that based on their “eco-clean program” it was cleaning day. Well what’s the point of a “no cleaning today / do not disturb” sign if hotel staff is going to ignore it? Also, the king bed room is smaller than a cruise ship cabin. For one person with a backpack fine. For foreigners with check-in sized luggage it’s a joke. You can’t even open a suitcase fully in the room’s hallway. Sure it’s cheap and I understand it’s Tokyo, but hey you’ll get what you pay for.

Although Toyoko Inn, honestly enough, market this hotel as "opposite Shin-omiya station", the fact is that the more practical JR station is not far at all, either, so this is a well-connected spot with plenty of transport choices. Still, the area manages to retain a (pleasant) local community feel, as it is a mixed residential neighbourhood and not a purely business one. The staff, both at front desk and serving breakfast, proved remarkably friendly. A great if somewhat oversubscribed 7Eleven is round the corner offering super Japanese takeaway food. As in all Toyoko's, beware the guest rooms are obviously designed for Japanese short-term business travellers who carry very little to no luggage. The en-suite bathroom features a retractable laundry hanging line over the shower, an extremely thoughtful, practical touch, as are the 24-hour coin-operated washing machines and tumble driers.

My advice? Don't go here. Especially if you're a man (I'll get to that later). Please read the entire text asif it's being told by a man with a smile on his face. As I am, and I have. It starts with checking in. Which is strictly 16:00 and not 5 minutes before. You'd expect that to be it. It's not though. If you want any housekeeping to be done, you have to leave the hotel between 10:00 and 15:00. Inbetween those times? Too bad. You wait again. Then you get to the room and if you're anything like me you'll let yourself fall on the bed asif you're in some hollywood movie. Don't.. you'll hurt yourself. There's a 5 cm spring mattress on a wooden base. Not too comfortable. The sheets are nice though. One for those who feel like they're on fire and one for those who feel like freezing. I liked that part of it. Ps. Did you know all hotels in japan have some rice-like substance in the pillows? So weird... Here comes the man-specific warning. The toilet is a horror. You don't have to have an elefant like trunk to drag your man-tool across the front of the toilet. Not just the lid of the toilet, the whole thing. It doesn't matter how you sit. Even with the backdoor all the way back up the seat, you'll still kiss the front. That being said, the shower is nice. They have good water pressure and temperature. Not just hotel good, but regular good. The best thing about the hotel is the staff at the reception. They won't be able to do anything for you when you'd like things to be different. But they'll be really polite and kind about it. Anything not regarding the hotel they're also happy to help. Also there's a vending machine which is cheaper than the "7-11 shop" which is nice. The location and housekeeping are good as well. (As expected to be. They have a whole of 5 hours to get their act together). The hotel is next to a parkinglot which is brightly lit at night. The curtains aren't too brilliant either. (You could read a book on the other side of the room with the curtains open.) So long story short, there's cheaper ones which are better.