Welcome to Hotel Costa Resort!

Tucked away in Chigasaki is the next love hotel I will be reviewing and adding to the ranking charts. Currently, Hotel Pacela in Kumamoto is at the top of the rankings, leading by just one point. Did Hotel Costa do enough to shake things up? Let’s take a deep dive and review my experience.

I will be reviewing the hotel based on seven different criteria, for a total combined score out of seventy. The first criterion is location, which often significantly impacts the overall score. Most love hotels tend to be located outside the cities, typically near major interchanges, and usually require a car for access. However, this is not always the case, as demonstrated by Hotel Pacela, which is situated in the heart of Kumamoto.

So, where is Hotel Costa? Located in Chigasaki, Hotel Costa follows the common trend of being somewhat out of the way. To reach this hotel, I had to take two trains, a bus, and then walk an additional 10 minutes. On the positive side, if you book this hotel, you will be just an hour away from Enoshima, a very popular destination. Situated in a quiet neighbourhood that is residential odd for norm of being in an industrial estate.

The hotel does not appear on Google Maps; however, the dog groomers located behind the hotel can be found and used as a marker. While the hotel's location is remote, it does offer a view of Mount Fuji, provided the clouds part long enough for a glimpse. For location, I give a score of 6 out of 10.

The next category is ease of access, which covers booking and checking in/out. Most love hotels aim to minimize contact, typically offering electronic check-in boards and payment machines in the rooms themselves, making check-out as simple as walking out the door. It's a huge bonus that this hotel is available for online booking. However, many of these hotels do not appear on booking sites and operate on a first-come, first-served basis, which has led to me being turned away multiple times. This gamble aspect of some hotels is a significant downside. Often as well if you want a specific room you will need to take that gamble.

In this case, I successfully booked online, and the hotel was listed on a few sites. I requested one of the large rooms with a staircase to the roof. Usually, such requests are not granted, but I decided to take a chance since the price I was paying was the same as the rooftop rooms. Thankfully, my gamble paid off.

One downside of booking online is that you need to call the receptionist, who will go through the room details with you. I'm quite used to this process now. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my request was acknowledged, and I was offered the available rooms within my price range. However, the rooftop room I initially wanted was not ready. On the lower price range, though, I was able to book a second rooftop room. Despite being worth less than I had paid, I decided to go for it. I booked this hotel because I wanted that staircase and nothing was getting in the way of that. Breakfast was also free with my booking, and they offered me choices and asked what time I wanted it.

For ease of access, I give this hotel a score of 9/10.

Let's take a closer look at the room and assess whether I regretted choosing one in the lower price bracket. Upon entering, I was immediately impressed by the large bed and TV; the room was spacious and featured an indoor jet bath, which is the largest I've seen in a love hotel to date.

The bathroom included a shower and an abundance of complimentary items—more than I could count. This hotel also offered a convenient freebie store, an aspect of love hotels which I love. Guests can select various items to bring to their rooms, including a range of luxury shampoos and conditioners, bath salts, humidifiers, chargers, and sometimes even free drinks and snacks.

Additionally, the room was packed with extras. It had a large sink area, a toilet, and a massage chair. There was also a water cooler and heater, a fancy coffee machine, and the usual refrigerators and microwave. In fact, the inside section of this room alone surpasses what most standard business hotels in Japan offer.

But the fun didn't stop there; a staircase led to the rooftop, where even more surprises awaited. The rooftop featured an outdoor jacuzzi with a view of the night sky, and there was a large TV by the jacuzzi that I synced to my phone to enjoy more music from Hiroyuki Sawano. There was also a seating area that I could easily imagine being quite relaxing in warmer weather—a perfect spot to share a toast.

For amenities, I rate this experience a solid 9 out of 10. The only thing missing from the rooftop room, given the price bracket I paid, was the sauna.

The next category is cleanliness and comfort. While the room was slightly older than at Hotel Bvljua, the design was very modern, featuring a darker colour scheme. There were a few fewer outlets in this room, but overall, it was clean, and my comfort was immeasurable. I would give it an 8 out of 10.

I often struggle to rate the food at these hotels because I either arrive late due to their later check-in times or wake up late and must rush for a connection. However, I did have breakfast, which included some very nice pancakes. The room offers the usual room service options; you can order from an extensive menu on your phone that features a wide variety of cuisines. Since I didn’t have the opportunity to eat anything other than breakfast, I will give it a rating of 6/10, as I typically do with other hotels where my experience in this aspect is limited.

The last category is likelihood to rebook. As with Hotel Pacela it is a prefecture that is not easily accessible for me. However, I still have not ticked of Enoshima so when I do, I will be rebooking this hotel. So, I will award 10/10.

So overall how did the hotel do? Is there an upset in my rankings…yes! The leader board has indeed changed Hotel Costas achieved a score of 58/70 making it the new leader on the board. The new top three hotels are only separated by a point between each; things are tight in the top anything could happen! Will we see a hotel finally break into the sixties? Keep tuned!

Hotel Bvljua – 56/70

Hotel Pacela – 57/70

Hotel Costa – 58/70