Hotel La Gita – Tokushima paradise is in the middle of nowhere

Located north of Tokushima, Hotel La Gita sits and waits for those brave enough to venture out to its location. I rely on public transport, and this hotel proved to be a painful journey to reach. For those coming by car, the hotel is off a main road about twenty-five minutes north of the city. But for those reliant on public transport, this hotel is a mission. I hope to provide some aid to help others avoid the long walk in the dark I endured.

Tokushima is rural, taxi apps work, but time out with no results found, the closest train station is Itano. The hotel does not show up on any map, and the hotel’s website lies about its location, taking you to the school on the wrong side of the river. You need to cross the river after arriving at Itano, and you need to get onto the footpath along the Aiai Road. But to do this, you will need to go back along the railway. The nearest location marker is a recycling centre. If you hit this on Google Maps, specify that you are walking! I foolishly followed the map on the hotel’s website and ended up at school. Thinking I could walk along the river to the main road, I walked in the dark to find no way up at all. I had to walk under the bridge to another bridge further down the river, which was level with the path and then backtrack in the darkness.

There were no streetlights, and I really did not feel safe. Japan is a safe country, but its wildlife is not. There are black bears in this prefecture, so take care when walking near mountains and rivers. I do not recommend the route I took. Get onto the main road that the hotel is on, up by the railway tracks, and there is a path, and life will be easier and safer. For location, the hotel gets a 3.

For ease of access, I give the hotel a 7 for a score of 10. The hotel is drive-in style, so you can walk around and check the image of each room at your own pace. The rooms have one image, but their website has more information on each room. The room I went for was the top room, as the most expensive room was incredibly cheap at 12k; it was rude to turn the opportunity down. After the long walk in the dark, I wanted to explore if the hotel had been worth it. There was no follow-up phone call, which was a first. Once you choose your room, you simply go upstairs into your room and enjoy your stay. The room I booked came with an outdoor covered jacuzzi, a traditional onsen-style wooden bath and a rock bath. All of this was for 12k hotels in Kyoto, offering the same, which are sometimes triple this.

For comfort and cleanliness, I award an 8 for a score of 18. The room was huge, there was a big bed, a tatami seating space, a huge bathroom and a large outside area. The room was slightly old, but the place was immaculate. The baths were all clean, and the wooden bath especially had notices on how to use and keep it in good condition. The facilities in the room were all clean, and the atmosphere of the room was very nice. The nightmare of finding the hotel soon faded as I enjoyed the outdoor jacuzzi, the spa features were all used, and I really enjoyed the bedrock bath. All of this for the equivalent of around 60 pounds is crazy. Everything was in good condition, and clearly, the room was cleaned frequently.

For amenities, I award a 7 for a total of 25. There was no front lobby, so no amenities bar. However, the room came with a generous number of freebies. The three baths came with a selection of bath goodies and a lot of towels, which I really appreciated. There was even a massage chair. The room had a selection of beauty products and even bed robes. There are tea-making facilities, and the only thing I would love to see in this room would be a USB charging option. Aside from this the room had everything I wanted at a very good price.  

Sadly, I arrived near 11 pm, so I was not in the mood for food, and I left early to catch a bus. So, as is tradition, I will give 5 points for a new total of 30.

For overall enjoyment, I award 8 for a new total of 38. I had a lot of fun at this hotel, and had it not been for the journey in the darkness to get to it, I feel this hotel would be very high in the overall ranking. The wooden bath is a traditional experience that is usually only found in older onsens. The bath was clean, and I enjoyed being able to experience it in my own room in private, without feeling any pressure if it were a public bath. The bedrock bath was also an amazing experience, which is usually very pricey at other hotels or spas. There were instructions on how to use it, and I really enjoyed having my outdoor jacuzzi followed by the bedrock. It felt like a spa experience, which a lot of high-end Love hotels aim for. The room itself was modern with a traditional Japanese vibe. The tatami area was nice, and the bed was large and modern. The lighting in the room was nice, and I enjoyed my stay. The only changes I would have made were adding in USB charging options and adding more images to the boards out front. If I had not chosen the top room, the other rooms only had a single image representing them. It is hard to know if a room will be worth the price without seeing the bath and other sections not covered by the image.

Last is rebooking, for this I award an 8 for a final score of 46/70 which is mid table, had the hotel scored even a 7 on the location it would have pushed it into the top bunch. If I am ever in Tokushima again, I would rebook the same room in a heartbeat, as the other hotels in the prefecture did not really appeal. There were not many, and the few that existed looked older and more basic. This hotel offered an amazing experience even though it was far north of the city. Now that I am aware of how to get there, I feel certain I'd have a better time finding it. Overall, this hotel is great, but it is sorely let down by its location. I feel the hotel is also cheap since Tokushima rarely gets much tourism. Had this hotel been in a big city, I feel the price would triple. I fully recommend the hotel to those driving, as it's only about 15 minutes by car from the capital. To those walking, if you are planning to see the indigo museum its out in that direction. It’s also close enough to the train line and a bus stop, just plan and familiarise yourself with its actual location.