Sauna & Spa Hotel Kisuke no Yado Imabari Ekimae

• The staff made a great impression—thank you. • If there was availability, they seemed to arrange it so guests wouldn’t be placed in bunk-style capsules; that really matters. • It’s a capsule bed, but it’s spacious enough. • The carbonated bath was excellent.A few small disappointments: 1. I planned to head out early for the Shimanami Kaido, but check-out starts at 6:00 a.m. It seems you can leave earlier if needed, but I didn’t want to trouble the staff. 2. The foot end of the capsule bed was slightly raised, which made my back arch a bit, so I ended up curling up slightly. 3. The dedicated space on the 3rd floor is only for rental wear, so I put something on underneath and went downstairs like that. 4. I thought the storage compartment at the back of the capsule bed would open, but no matter what I did it wouldn’t—maybe that isn’t meant to open?Still, the water quality is outstanding, the staff are courteous, and the value for money is unbeatable. Rather than using it as a stopover before heading out, I’d like to make this Accommodation my final stay and really enjoy it.• When I asked, they told me some hotels along the Shimanami Kaido offer a service where if you drop off your luggage in Onomichi by 2:00 p.m., it will be delivered ahead of you… I packed everything up and ran with an extremely heavy backpack—next time I’ll definitely use this great service.

I was happy that I could take a bath multiple times. The lockable bike rack is appreciated for theft prevention, but some people may worry that the hanging-style storage could scratch the wheels. The capsule room was also clean and I was satisfied, but the noise from the air conditioning (possibly a ventilation fan) was quite loud, and it would have been tough without earplugs. Other guests were quiet as well, and the lounge and other common areas were comfortable.