Hotel with a volcanic view – Hotel Watergate
The next hotel to be reviewed on this journey is the aptly named Hotel Watergate, located in Kagoshima City. This hotel offers a view that only a few other love hotels in Kagoshima can rival, a stunning direct sea view with Sakurajima standing proudly in the background. In addition to this, the hotel provides a variety of other amenities. Let's evaluate Hotel Watergate and see if the top spots in my rankings stay the same.
First up is the location. This hotel is situated slightly outside of the town along the coast. It can be reached by taxi or bus, and it's just a ten-minute walk from the nearest transport stop. While it isn't the best location we've rated, it's also not the worst. For this reason, I am giving the location an 8 out of 10. The walk to the hotel conveniently passes a convenience store, which makes it easy to grab some snacks for your stay.
Next is ease of access. This hotel was booked through booking.com and is also available on other sites. There is a standard electronic board in the lobby where guests who have not made a reservation can check for available rooms that day and reserve through the board. If you book online, you will need to use the phone at the front desk to inform them of your reservation, and they will provide you with the necessary details.
The lobby offers a complimentary drink for all guests, which includes hot drinks, non-alcoholic options, and even alcoholic beverages. If you're feeling creative like me, you can mix a non-alcoholic drink with alcohol to make a JD and Coke.
For ease of access, I award a score of 9, bringing the total to 17.
The food category is typically one where I find it challenging to assign a score; however, during my stay at Hotel Watergate, I had the opportunity to sample some dishes from their extensive menu. The hotel boasts a wide variety of options, which they promote on their website. I tried the steak, a chocolate marshmallow pizza, and the ramen during my stay of a few nights. All the food was impressive, with the steak being particularly tender. The pizza was a fun novelty, and the ramen tasted great. Overall, the quality was excellent for the reasonable prices. The food was a highlight, which is usually not the case with many hotels. I would happily give the menu a score of 7 out of 10, bringing the total score to 24.
As for cleanliness, the hotel met my expectations well. My room was modern, with new woodwork and furniture. They provided clean towels and robes, along with an array of cutlery and cups that were wrapped in plastic to ensure they were new and clean. For cleanliness, I would give an 8 out of 10, which raises our overall score to 32.
The hotel room itself is one of the smaller options available, but it makes efficient use of the space. It features a beautiful indoor jet bath with a shower. One of my favourite aspects of these hotels is the selection of complimentary items available in the lobby store, including a range of hair and beauty products, as well as additional freebies in your room. The idea behind these hotels is that you can arrive empty-handed and leave feeling incredibly refreshed.
The room has a comfortable large bed and a small balcony where you can admire the view of the volcano. Inside, there’s a classy cabinet and a large sofa positioned opposite the TV. Overall, the room is still larger than what you would typically find in a business hotel, often for the same price or a little more. For amenities, I would rate the hotel a 7 out of 10, bringing the total score to 39.
Moving on to the likelihood of rebooking, this is an easy decision for me, as I intend to explore more of Kagoshima city in the future. I would be happy to rebook the hotel just to try a different room. The hotel offers a wide variety of options, and when I made my reservation, there were very few rooms left. While the location was decent, I did miss the last bus after enjoying shabu shabu and ended up walking twenty minutes back through an ash cloud. Considering this, I will give it an 8 out of 10, bringing the total to 47.
Lastly, regarding overall enjoyment, I thoroughly enjoyed the bath and the view of the volcano. However, aside from that, there weren’t any standout features, except perhaps the excellent food. I had a good time and will award a 7 out of 10, which brings our final score to 55 out of 70. I recommend considering this hotel if you need a place in Kagoshima city and want a beautiful view.
