Trip.com M.
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A 4,300-Yuan-a-Night “Prison” – The Single Worst Hotel Experience of My LifeAll I got for 4,300 RMB was a four-word lesson: “Once you pay, you obey.”1. One-hour check-in queue, one lone staff memberWe arrived in the afternoon to find several families already stacked in the lobby. Only one Japanese-speaking employee was at the front desk; the rest of the crew stood around watching. No greetings, no apologies, no help for seniors or kids—just robotic bows that looked polite but solved nothing.2. Zero English, zero empathyNo basic English whatsoever. When my cane-carrying father-in-law needed help with luggage, staff simply stared until we hauled it ourselves. We tried pantomiming “less salt” and “please cook it”; the only reply was a flat “no, no” followed by a walk-off. I never knew you could pay to become instantly mute.3. Dinner felt like an exam: raw fish only, want it cooked? File a requestOur kaiseki menu opened with sashimi. My elderly relatives can’t eat raw food, so we politely asked if the kitchen could flash-sear a few slices. Answer: “Unless you submitted a written request 24 h in advance, the chef refuses.” Dishes arrived in random order; one of us was finished before the next course showed up. We begged three times for hot tea. Grandmother finally sighed, “Should’ve bought bentos at 7-Eleven.”4. Onsen & public areas: tiny, packed, grimyThe “hot-spring” tub is barely larger than a household bathtub. The powder room offers two mirror slots—cue hallway queue when more than four women show up. Yukata? “Only medium left, make do.” The so-called rotenburo overlooks the carport, scenery nil, and the water’s surface was decorated with someone else’s hair.5. DIY check-out—4,300 yuan buys you self-serviceMorning of departure: not a soul at reception. We wandered around, finally dropped our keys into an unmanned box and left. No “thank you,” no taxi call, no bill confirmation—silence is their farewell gift.SummaryThis is NOT “traditional Japanese hospitality”; it’s a cold cash-grab where guests are expected to fend for themselves. For 4,300 yuan per night you can stay at a real five-star in Japan, yet here you get cramped rooms, mediocre food, minus-five-star service, and a masterclass in frustration.Don’t trust the brochure photos—any other ryokan in Jozankei would treat you better for the same money. Black-listed forever; consider yourself warned.
