Hotel Crystal Plaza

Front desk can speak english. The hotel is quite old I think but it is generally clean.

First up, my booking says double room, I'm not sure that's what I got. It didn't seem very double to me, it was very small. Basically, besides the location opposite Katsuta Train Station, this hotel does not have much going for it. My room was dingy and old. The bathroom basin was cracked with age. They supply a decent sized bed, but then place one measly small pillow in its centre. The air conditioning is set for the whole hotel, so if you want heating and the setting is cool, bad luck. My main issue was with the washing machine. After having to purchase separate washing powder, I dumped my load into the very old machine. After 30 minutes, I placed all my washing into the even older dryer. I tried 60 minutes, then had to go another 30. Then some washing was still wet so I put the damp clothes in for another 30 minutes. That's 2 hours to dry one load of washing! And no, I hadn't overloaded it. When I opened the dryer door after the 2 hours, I was hit by a shower of lint. Everything left in the dryer was covered in lint. I was able to shake off most of it, except for a pair of black track pants, which had turned grey with the lint. Totally unwearable. And at close to 10 pm, no time for another wash. So I took my pants to the front desk. The best he could do was give me a floor brush and then let me try to get the lint off for the next 15 minutes. It ended up imperfect but passable. No real apology, no offer to at least refund the money I had spent on the dryer, nothing. Abysmal behaviour, especially by Japanese standards. Bottom line, don't stay here, try the Terrace Inn across the road. I don't know what it's like but it can't really be any worse than the Crystal Plaza.

Nice location and friendly staff. The restaurant on the first floor is pretty good.