I am very pleased with my stay in this hotel! The hotel is easy to find with driving, and I could park in the parking garage across at 1000 yen per day. The check in was fast and front desk staff speaks so English and very helpful. The hotel location is excellent and is right across from the Wakayama castle. The hotel is very new, and the beddings and furnitures all in excellent condition. There’s 10% discount for all the restaurants inside the building which I enjoyed and it was nice to have a walk in the castle park in evening time as it is a very safe neighborhood. Only area to improve is the lack of amenities provided at 3rd floor reception. Overall I recommend this hotel!
This is my second time here, and I feel the service wasn't as good as my last visit. Last time, someone even escorted me to my room, but this time it felt more like a streamlined process. They offer free beer from 3-5 PM, so you can check in a bit early, grab a drink, and then head out. It's a bit of a walk to Shirahama Beach, but it's manageable.
However, the views are truly breathtaking. Even though the room's bath uses tap water, soaking while looking out at the sea is very relaxing. The large public bath was practically empty; I pretty much had it to myself in the mornings. The co-ed section offers amazing ocean views, and it wasn't crowded either.
Many people have mentioned that dinner isn't great, but perhaps they're comparing it to high-end Japanese restaurants. Honestly, it was pretty decent. The standard set menu included an abalone and a sukiyaki with local black beef, so there was plenty of food. For breakfast, I recommend the Japanese style; it has more variety, while the Western option is mostly bread and ham.
The hotel's location is excellent, right next to the JR station and connected to Kintetsu Department Store. The area is very lively, probably the busiest spot in Wakayama. Although the hotel is a bit old, it's very clean, and the bed was super comfortable. They offer complimentary tea and coffee, served in what seems to be the breakfast area, which has a really nice ambiance. I'll definitely stay here again next time I'm in Wakayama!
Facilities: Simple, practical, and well-maintained across the board.
Cleanliness: Good.
Environment: The hotel is conveniently located near Wakayama JR Station, with plenty of shopping and dining options nearby.
Service: In my personal opinion, the service at this hotel is the best among the many comfortable hotels I've stayed at in Japan. A special shout-out to the lady who speaks Chinese – she was very kind and helpful. Thank you!
This is genuinely one of the best hotels I've ever stayed at in a small Japanese city. You can take a bus directly from the JR station right to the hotel entrance. The room was huge! And the ocean view was amazing! I booked the half-board option (two meals). For breakfast, there were Japanese and Western choices; I tried both and found the Western one a bit tastier. Dinner was served in a private room, and the menu was different each night – absolutely delicious! The sukiyaki meat was fantastic. Plus, in the evenings, there was complimentary free-flow wine. Pure bliss!
The hotel was really nice. The front desk staff were very friendly and confident, and check-in was very easy. The room wasn’t very big, but it was very clean, and a lot of small details made it feel really thoughtful. I’d definitely come back here again. Wakayama is really beautiful.
The hotel is situated at a secluded corner of Wakayama prefecture. It is much preferable to drive here rather than relying on the infrequent hotel shuttle. Public transport is otherwise non existent.
There are no restaurants around the hotel. However the hotel provides delicious meals with abundant fresh seafood. The in room dining experience is superb. The hotel staff service is impeccable.
The room has a spectacular sea view allowing you to see the sunset on clear days. The onsen also faces the sea which provides a relaxing experience.
A downside is that the hotel does not seem to sanitize the slippers for indoor use. All hotel guests had to change to their slippers to access their indoor facilities.
Smile Hotel Wakayama is conveniently located right beside Wakayama Castle, making it a great choice for sightseeing and exploring the area. Overall, we had a good stay and a pleasant experience.
Although the hotel’s renovation and interior are slightly outdated, the room was still clean and comfortable. Considering the price and the excellent location, it is more than acceptable and offers great value for money.
What truly stood out was the excellent service from the front desk staff. They were extremely friendly, helpful, and professional. We encountered a problem with our car during our stay, and the staff kindly assisted us by contacting the police and helping us handle the situation, which we really appreciated.
Overall, it’s a great option if you’re looking for a budget-friendly hotel with a fantastic location and outstanding service.
It's located near Wakayama Station, making it extremely accessible. Although it's a capsule hotel, the high ceilings and ease of changing clothes were great. It was clean and comfortable.
The room was even better than it looked in the pictures. Bathrobes and towels were replaced daily, and the kitchen downstairs had a full set of utensils, making for a very comfortable stay. The Shin-Yuzaki bus stop right outside was convenient for getting around, and the shared hotel public bath was great, not too crowded even during the National Day holiday. The popular ramen shop and bakery nearby are also worth recommending!
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GGuest UserThe hotel's location is excellent, making it very convenient to get to all the main attractions. The surrounding scenery of the hotel itself is also beautiful, and the facilities offer a great experience. While the dining options are quite varied, the Japanese cuisine isn't among the best, and the ingredient selection is just average. There are some seafood restaurants nearby that can offer a good alternative.
Ee02234454This is my second time here, and I feel the service wasn't as good as my last visit. Last time, someone even escorted me to my room, but this time it felt more like a streamlined process. They offer free beer from 3-5 PM, so you can check in a bit early, grab a drink, and then head out. It's a bit of a walk to Shirahama Beach, but it's manageable.
However, the views are truly breathtaking. Even though the room's bath uses tap water, soaking while looking out at the sea is very relaxing. The large public bath was practically empty; I pretty much had it to myself in the mornings. The co-ed section offers amazing ocean views, and it wasn't crowded either.
Many people have mentioned that dinner isn't great, but perhaps they're comparing it to high-end Japanese restaurants. Honestly, it was pretty decent. The standard set menu included an abalone and a sukiyaki with local black beef, so there was plenty of food. For breakfast, I recommend the Japanese style; it has more variety, while the Western option is mostly bread and ham.
CCEL_LI was about to give bad reviews due to some poor check-in experience, but everything after check in is so good that compensates this journey.
First, the check-in process that brings me with bad experience: it is self-served and there is no any staff. By rights you should receive an instruction email with check-in PIN in advance, which I heard from other guests. However, I didn’t receive anything but Trip’s confirmation letter and I was unable to check in. And my sim card in Japan is just an internet card unable to make phone calls, which means I have no way to contact the hotel directly. My partner and I were desperately locked out of the hotel in the evening, after 7h hiking, with no other available hotel in the mountain. After waiting for over 1 hour, other guests helped us to enter the admin room where there is an ipad to call the hotel (why not make it available to guests without checking in?), and with the help of Trip’s agency, we finally checked in successfully.
Then here is the staying experience: so good that makes me almost forgive the poor check-in experience. Each room is a spacious individual house and ours has a garden for BBQ. The food is also self-served, with the cooking stuffs and ingredients in the fridge. It was unexpected that you need to cook yourself (I don’t think it was listed on room info when I booked it), but it’s not bad that Wagyu, chicken, and vegetables are served. The rooms are big and cozy, and you can do the laundry after hiking.
Everything is good about the hotel itself, just be aware of the self-checkin process and make sure you get the instructions before that.
GGuest UserThe location is very close to Okunoin Cemetery, so you could take an evening walk and easily return before the doors close at 9 PM. It felt safe and convenient, and the atmosphere in the evening was beautiful. The bus runs frequently, so getting to the station the next day was no problem at all.
The temple offers a Goma (fire) ritual in the afternoon, and one prayer stick is included. The morning meditation was also a wonderful experience, very impressive.
The staff were genuinely positive, friendly and helpful. Some of them speak very good English, they explain everything clearly, and they let me leave my luggage when I arrived early.
I highly recommend this place, but a few practical things worth mentioning:
– The stairs to the guest rooms are very steep, and the temple slippers are slippery. If you have trouble with stairs or simply want to avoid the risk, I recommend asking for a room on the first floor.
– I visited in early December, and it was really (really!) cold as the corridors are unheated. You absolutely need very warm socks for meditation and the fire ritual. I was completely frozen.
– My room took a long time to warm up, but the kotatsu made a huge difference once it heated up, and there was also a gas heater + a tea set with hot water.
– Having a sink in the room was a very convenient bonus, but the water in mine was cold though. In the bathroom hot water is available.
SSujiangbushijiangThis is genuinely one of the best hotels I've ever stayed at in a small Japanese city. You can take a bus directly from the JR station right to the hotel entrance. The room was huge! And the ocean view was amazing! I booked the half-board option (two meals). For breakfast, there were Japanese and Western choices; I tried both and found the Western one a bit tastier. Dinner was served in a private room, and the menu was different each night – absolutely delicious! The sukiyaki meat was fantastic. Plus, in the evenings, there was complimentary free-flow wine. Pure bliss!
GGeraldLim1Beautiful Ryokan! The room I stayed in had tatami floors and western beds. The doors slide instead of open outwards like they usually do. Toilets are relatively small, but the shower had great water pressure and temperature! However we did not shower much because.. We showered at the Onsen instead since we were there to spend time! The Onsen is tattoo-friendly as confirmed by the check in staff, and the water really had skin smoothing effects. Yukatas are available at lobby area for all guests, and level two has a restaurant with microwave and ice machine outside for your konbini meals. No view from the room, but that's fine cos the Onsen itself was worth a visit. Steep short hill up to the lobby, but if you drive then that's fine. Free to use outdoor BBQ area, but didn't have the chance to. Rooms were comfy, sleep was good with minimal disturbance. Side note: my underwear got stolen at the onsen and I never managed to find it back again but that's fine cos it was worth the Onsen experience. Stayed two nights here, no regrets, would totally do it again! Oh and Onsen area has got numbered lockers to store your belongings but not your undies!
HHajimihajimihajimi123The onsen (hot spring) was fantastic. For men, there were two large pools (inner and outer) plus three individual pools. It was rarely crowded; during the National Day holiday, there were usually only four or five people bathing at any one time, making it perfect for Chinese guests who aren't used to Japanese hot springs. Since the hotel doesn't have a restaurant, there's a large public area on the first floor where guests can heat up their own food in the microwave, have coffee, or read a book. I'd definitely go back again! 😁 (PS: I stayed at six or seven guesthouses throughout Japan, and this one had the most comfortable mattress and linens—much more comfortable than the newly renovated Marriott in Kobe. For a Fairfield brand, it was way above average. Lying on this bed after a tiring hike on the Kumano Kodo was so relaxing.) There's an island park near the hotel where you can watch the sunrise and see the sea (but the grass and trees are a bit dense, so you'll need to go with friends).
GGuest UserFacilities: The onsen is a traditional Japanese hot spring. While the outdoor bath doesn't offer scenic views, the water temperature was perfect. We stayed in a Japanese-style room this time. The occupancy was low, so it was peaceful and uncrowded.
Cleanliness: It was spotless and met all standards.
Environment: The location is fantastic! It's right next to Senjojiki and just a 3-5 minute walk from the only small restaurant in the vicinity.
GGuest UserThis hotel served as a perfect stopover while hiking the Kumano Kodo. It's less than a 10-minute taxi ride from Kumano Hongu Taisha. This was my second stay, and when I asked, the hotel mentioned a renovation in November 2025, but it sounds like it will only be a partial refurbishment! The hot springs are very comfortable, with both indoor and outdoor baths. The outdoor bath is mixed-gender, and they provide special robes you can wear out there. I booked the half-board option (dinner and breakfast), but the food was quite ordinary with limited choices. However, since there are no convenience stores nearby, eating at the hotel was the only option. The hot spring river, just a 5-minute walk away, now has a public hot spring pool. Many people were enjoying it early in the morning, and kids were also digging their own small pools in the river. Waking up to the steam rising from the river was just wonderful.
GGuest UserThe hotel is conveniently located right by a bus stop. The onsen hotel offers a great variety of food. The dinner buffet included sashimi, and breakfast featured local specialties. The Japanese-style tatami beds were very comfortable. A pleasant surprise was the complimentary drinks bar, perfect for enjoying after a relaxing bath.
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