Aki Grand Hotel — Hotel in Hatsukaichi

Unfortunately, this was a terrible experience, not to mention terribly overpriced. I adore Japan with a burning passion and I have a very soft spot for Miyajima and Hiroshima, had some of the best times of my life here. That being said, this hotel did NOT deliver. Starting with the front desk where nobody was speaking English and they were almost unable to check me in. Requested for the manager, yet there wasn't one on duty, apparently the manager is only there in the morning. Understanding what the front desk gentleman was saying was painfully hard. He couldn't even explain where the restaurant is. There is no business centre at the hotel, no ear plugs either so in case someone is having a party next door, which happened to me, good luck with your sleep. The futon is dreadful (and I usually choose to sleep on futons while in Japan because I like the experience). When asked to add another futon, because I felt as if I was sleeping on the floor, the hotel staff came and brought it for me and then expected me to set it up myself, which I have never experienced in Japan up until that point, because their customer service is usually unsurpassable. Even sleeping on two futons was still uncomfortable. Come morning, had at least some hopes for breakfast but that was also terrible. Eggs and other food that was supposed to be warm was just plain cold, no tablecloth at the restaurant and you bring your food on a tray like at a school cafeteria. The food selection was plentiful, but everything had an unfortunate taste. This is one of the worst hotel experiences ever. Only giving it 2 stars because it overlooks my beloved Miyajima, but for the love of God, what a waste of an...

+Private onsen is amazing +Dinner at the Japanese restaurant was traditional and very good +Staff were always friendly and courteous +The robes and room service were top notch

-Mosquitoes: we had a rough first night. Our fault for leaving the windows open, but the room was very, very warm. Requested a small fan for the next night, coupled with some repellent we bought, which made it much better. -Not many English speakers on staff while I was there, which, made a few things more difficult (like trying to figure out why our room was so warm). -Shuttle service has no luggage storage area and can get very full around check-in and check-out times. We expected to take it after check-out and it was full so had to wait 30 mins for the next one. A bit unexpected as every other time we took it, it was basically empty. -Hotel bar opens in the morning and closes at 18:30…. As there is nothing else around was a bit inconvenient not to be able to get a drink after dinner.

Conclusion: It may seem a bit outdated but take it as part of the charm. Really big and nice facility with some sweet amenities. Not very centrally located and can get a bit warm in the rooms.

P.S. The gift shop is independent from the hotel and it offers the luggage transfer service. They unexpectedly closed the day we were leaving and we could not find another place to ship our luggage to Tokyo as the convenience stores and train station only...

When I checked in, the front desk explained that they were opening a temporary bath today because it was crowded. It was very crowded and it was obvious that there were not enough staff. I don't think the staff can provide good service due to stress. Something the hotel management should think about.I used this service because it had good reviews, but I won't be returning.・After getting off the shuttle bus, I was struggling with my suitcase, stroller, and other luggage, but the doorman did not help me.・I stayed with an infant, but only enough bath towels were provided for 2 adults.・The time when Japanese-style futons will be prepared is from 19:00 to 21:00.・In the temporary bath, the feet of the changing room are wet and uncomfortable.・The breakfast buffet is said to be crowded from 7:30 to 8:30, so if you go there at 8:30, the salad will not be replenished until the honey for the yogurt is empty.・Dinner is served at least 10 minutes after the bowl of rice and pickled vegetables has been eaten. (They seem to be doing their best as they serve the food without even saying sorry for being late. It's obvious that things aren't going well.)I had a bad impression from the moment I arrived, and the bad things became more and more noticeable. However, the staff on the houseboat returning from Miyajima and the female staff who came to take us there were wonderful in their attitude of caring for all...