Hotel Route-Inn Shin-Shirakawa Ekihigashi

This time, I came to Fukushima Prefecture to support my son at his tournament. My mom friends and I each booked our own Room, and after returning to the Hotel we were able to spend our time freely—taking a bath, resting, and relaxing in our own way. Since my Room was on the 6th floor, I could enjoy an open view of the surrounding area from the window, which was wonderful. The best part was the breakfast buffet in the Hotel. There were so many delicious dishes that I ended up eating far more than I usually can in the morning. Because it was a Multiple Night Stay, looking forward to breakfast each day became one of my favorite parts of the trip. My only regret is that after enjoying the games and going out for drinks with my mom friends every night, I was so tired that I used the unit bath in my Room and didn’t get to use the Onsen even once. I had stayed at Route Inn Hotel in Kyoto over 20 years ago and had a great impression back then as well, so I booked this stay with high expectations—and it was even more relaxing and satisfying than I hoped!

This was my second stay at this Route Inn. The flat parking lot makes it easy to park, and leaving is smooth as well. I really like all of Route Inn’s services, and I’m happy that I can enjoy the welcome drink and morning coffee in my room. Above all, having a large public bath is the best. It’s a bit small, but luckily no one else was there, so I could relax.The women’s bath also had amenities, including cleansing oil, so it was fine even without bringing anything. It’s also great that the roomwear isn’t a yukata.Breakfast is free, and with that many options it’s more than satisfactory—the miso soup was delicious. I would definitely like to stay again.Just one thing I’d like to mention: since it was cool that day, I didn’t use the air conditioner at first, but during the night it got hot so I turned it on. Then I couldn’t stop coughing; when I turned it off, the coughing stopped. The next morning I looked at the vent and saw a spider web—maybe that was why—so I left a note for housekeeping. It may have been just by chance, but it might be worth adding to the cleaning checklist.Other than that, the staff were kind—they recommended places to eat, lent me an umbrella, and even brought me a container when there wasn’t one available for ice after my bath. If given the chance, I’ll stay again. Thank you very much.