Hotel Restay - Okayama review
Tucked away a few stops outside of Okayama city is Hotel Restay like many hotels in this prefecture the hotel is in a hotspot for other hotels as well. There are about 6 in a row with a further 2 just outside of this street. Originally again I came in pursuit of another hotel however due to it being a national holiday the check in was very late something which I am not a fan of. check in was 9pm and later in some of the hotels which often explains why I can never rate the food. The other hotel being considered was also very expensive with some of its top rooms costing around 30k.
Initially deciding to wait out the time I explored all the options in the area where I finally came to Hotel Restay which was last on the street. Another drive in style hotel this hotel offers a fun infographic for all their rooms. The map has a key indicating what special features a room has. This is very helpful if you are after a certain feature such as karaoke, jet bath, circle bed, micro bubble bath and more. It also showed the rooms with a second floor, sauna and the rooms which had recently been revamped. Firstly, for location this hotel scores a 6 the walk from the station was uneven and unlit in the dark. The path is unclear and eventually takes you onto a main road. The hotels are around a 15-minute walk if you are not coming by car. This added to my panic as rooms all around me were being snapped up by customers who were driving. The original hotel I wanted was back across the main road and the risk of going back to find all the rooms gone was a real trauma I had already encountered.
The problem was there was a whole hour before stays opened and the rooms around me were being snapped up quickly. Eventually an expensive decision was made to check in early and get an extension fee. The room I choose however was worth the price I am just gutted I didn’t have longer to enjoy the room. This room was my two storied love hotel dream. For ease of access, I award a 7 taking the total to 13. The drive in style of the hotel means you can see what rooms are available. And with the website loading if not a little slow you can compare the map with the rooms available and have a better idea of what to expect.
My room was on two floors the first floor was the bathroom, toilet, washer and dryer and sauna. The room had all the facilities you’d need for a spa stay. The only downside was the first floor was very cold as it was now winter in Japan. so, coming down the stairs in the middle of the night for a bathroom break was a cold experience. The second floor was the bedroom, sofa and the tv. The room itself was large, and the room was very clean. For comfort and cleanliness, I award an 8 taking the total to 21.
For amenities the room has a lot of features including the usual freebies you will find as standard in most. There was no amenities bar, and the food options were very limited and pricey if you were not a member and they mainly consisted of 7eleven options. For amenities I award a 7 taking the total to 28.
After trying the non 7eleven options on the menu I award a 6 taking the total to 34. The food was ok with nothing to really write home about. The prices were very high for what they were and seeing 7eleven items are marked up prices just felt bad.
My overall enjoyment at this hotel is a 7 for a score of 41. I enjoyed the large bath and the room eventually warmed up; the sauna was also very nice to experience. To get the most for the price and the room though a longer stay would be better as it was nearly midnight by the time I went to sleep after deciding to try the facilities. I had an early wake up as I had planned to head to the German park. So, I was unable to really enjoy the facilities. But for those coming by car and those who can stay longer it’s a room that will give you enough to do and enjoy.
As for return I would like to do the dark zone areas in Okayama however, they are further out of the city and the likelihood of me picking the same hotel is unlikely. So, I will award a 6 for a final score of 47/70.
