Shin Kaikatei Izumi

Great hotel

Let me show you with facts how shady this hotel's front desk is. I've been to Japan so many times and have never encountered such a shady establishment. If I've exaggerated even slightly, please correct me. First picture: This elderly Japanese gentleman kneeling on the ground—look closely, he wouldn't give me the room type I booked. I booked a tatami room with a balcony and private onsen. Pictures eight, nine, and ten: I showed him my hotel booking confirmation in Chinese, English, and Japanese, but he still wouldn't admit it. He explained that the open-air bath was in the public area on the 3rd floor, and that the open-air bath on the 3rd floor was a public area that any guest with a room type could use. He said I booked a tatami room with a private onsen. The worst part is that he wrote on my booking confirmation that I needed to pay an extra 4000 yen to get the room I wanted. Did he think I was easy to bully? I politely and with a smile refused him. I couldn't possibly agree. I contacted a Chinese booking agent in Japan. The agent replied that the hotel receptionist's English wasn't good, making communication difficult, but they agreed to change rooms for free. Since the old gentleman had previously asked for an extra 4000 yen, why didn't he insist on that? Why compromise and change rooms for free? Entering the new room, I found it still wasn't a tatami room, but it had a private onsen. I continued to ask why there wasn't a tatami. The old gentleman said it was the only room left, and asked if I wanted it. He even asked me in English, "Deal?" Since they said there were no rooms available, and I had wasted over an hour running up and down the stairs, I didn't want to waste any more time, so I accepted. But I certainly wouldn't let it go. After checking out the next day, I contacted the booking agent again. Finally, the booking agent compensated me. I'm writing this long post specifically against the hotel, not the agent. I want all guests intending to book this hotel to see this clearly. If you have any questions, you can contact me. I must expose this kind of shady business. Before booking, I saw some other guests reporting similar issues, and I never expected to encounter the same problem myself. It seems this hotel is a repeat offender! Picture two shows the wooden box containing the hot spring water outlet. The wood is severely rotten, the surface is slippery, and the hygiene is appalling. Furthermore, the water in this hotel is not natural hot spring water at all; it's just heated tap water. There's a metal faucet inside the box to control the water flow, and the faucet itself is whitish—truly unhygienic. Picture three shows the tatami mats on the room floor, which are extremely dirty. What is the owner's intention in providing such a room to guests? Pictures four, five, and six show the room type the old gentleman ultimately gave me. It still wasn't the tatami room with a private onsen that I booked. I gave him a chance to reform, but he didn't want it, so don't blame me for being ruthless. Picture seven shows the towels in the private onsen area on the balcony. It clearly states "open-air bath," confirming that the old gentleman's previous explanation is untenable. At his age, why would he engage in such deceptive practices? This time, he encountered a bold, cultured, patient, and polite Shanghai man. I absolutely will not let this go. When Chinese people encounter this kind of situation, we must get to the bottom of it clearly, without any ambiguity! The last four pictures are of the room type I booked, but unfortunately, I didn't get to experience it this time. We Chinese people should not be afraid to compromise when encountering anything overseas. Reasonable demands must be met. We don't cause trouble, but we are not afraid of trouble either!