Shiraraso Grand Hotel

This was the worst room I've ever stayed in during my four trips to Japan. The hotel's exterior looks 100 out of 100, and the lobby, while you can sense something's a bit off, still scores about 70-80. However, the real problem is the room's cleanliness. If all the other rooms I've stayed in scored 95 or 100, this one gets a 50. The room is incredibly old; I checked, and the last renovation was in 2016. It's clear this room has truly been in use for 10 years. The interior decor and overhead lighting are very oppressive, all the plastic parts are yellowed, and the sink is also yellowed. Things like the knobs really show their age. Being old isn't the biggest issue; the main problem is that it wasn't cleaned properly. There were brown water stains in the sink, and a large patch of mold on the wall in the corner of the room. It's just very, very dated. A tiny 13 sqm room for 1400 yen a night. And the soundproofing is terrible; I barely slept all night, even with earplugs. I don't know what was making noise upstairs, but it was a continuous banging sound that lasted all night. I can't tell if it was other guests or something blowing in the wind, but it went on from 2 AM until 9 AM. This was genuinely my worst experience in Japan. I only ended up here because I couldn't find any other hotels for that night. Furthermore, the outdoor bath and other hotel facilities were also just 'old' and not very clean, maintaining the same standard as the room. It's obvious. While it might have been great when it was newly renovated 10 years ago, it's now at the very end of its cycle. It feels like they're trying to squeeze out some money before the next renovation, so I'll consider it again after they renovate.

We booked the Japanese-Western style connecting room this time. The room size was very satisfactory, perfect for a family trip, and it had two bathrooms. The beach was right outside our room, and you could buy fireworks at the hotel, which was very convenient. The hot spring on the 2nd floor offered distant ocean views, but there were so, so, so many sea cockroaches.

The hotel's location is excellent, and the room view is fantastic. The room itself is also very spacious and clean. It's a must-stay for anyone who loves pandas! 🥰 Plus, they even give out panda-themed merchandise as a gift.

The location is fantastic, very convenient with great transport links. The white sandy beach is right outside the window, and just sitting on the sofa or tatami admiring the beautiful view puts me in a great mood. There are plenty of restaurants and convenience stores nearby.

That ocean view alone made it all worth it! Room Facilities: It's an older hotel, so a bit dated, but it has everything you need and the hygiene was quite good. The best part was having two separate toilets – perfect for families traveling together. The lobby on the ground floor offers free drinks, and complimentary wine is served after 5 PM. They also have delicious Yuasa soy sauce ice cream (extra charge). Transportation: The hotel is just a 1-minute walk from the station, making it convenient to get anywhere. Breakfast: The Japanese-style breakfast, while perhaps not for everyone's palate, offered a wonderful sense of ritual. The sweet pickled salmon was tasty. The Japanese lady at the next table finished everything! The buffet breakfast is good for those who don't eat seafood or cold dishes; while the selection isn't huge, the food tasted good. Onsen (Hot Spring): It was decent, nothing spectacular but perfectly fine. Soaking in the hot spring at 5 AM was incredibly pleasant, and it wasn't overly crowded at 8 PM either. The beach is right downstairs, a mere 2-minute walk from the hotel. You can even buy fireworks and light them on the beach. There are tons of great restaurants nearby, and the lobby even has recommendations for the best local eateries. When checking in, we asked the front desk to book a taxi for our departure. Taxis are really hard to come by here, so if you have a lot of luggage, definitely book in advance, as the buses can get too crowded to board. There's also a 24-hour supermarket, Lawson, and FamilyMart across from the hotel, selling some good beer.

The location is great. Initially, we were given a room on the third floor, the lowest level, with no view. We paid to upgrade to a 70-square-meter room on the sixth floor, and the view was fantastic. The breakfast was also very good. The only downside was that we couldn't negotiate a one-hour late checkout; we had to pay a 3300 fee. I guess it was just bad luck. If you stay here, I recommend choosing the 70-square-meter room on the sixth floor to enhance your experience.

Stayed here again, this time with kids for a two-day trip. The room was surprisingly smaller than the standard double room I had last time. With four futons laid out, it felt a bit cramped. For dinner, I wouldn't recommend booking it if you have kids; many of them didn't like the food, although the portions were quite generous.

The room type was decent, and the view was nice. Housekeeping was just okay. Didn't get to try breakfast as the restaurant was crowded with long queues. Dinner was alright; à la carte drinks weren't expensive. Didn't really like the hot springs, so didn't go for a soak. The beach is good for kids to dig in the sand, and games are fine too. At over 5k, the value for money is pretty low, but I guess there's no avoiding that during the summer.