The Celecton Fukushima — Hotel in Honshu

I stayed three nights due to an event that took place in the hotel, therefore I had no choice. ||It is an old building, they try to keep it clean but can't help the small in the rooms (tobacco smell even in non-smoking rooms, and strong sewage stench in the bathroom).||Bathroom very small - typical in Japan - made as one plastic box - walls, floor, and ceiling is one piece. Ample amount on toiletries - all you need is there, including tooth brash/paste, razor, comb, etc. as well as bathrobe and slippers. ||Fast and free wifi.||Comfortable enough bed.||TV only in Japanese.||Electric kettle in the room and 2 sachets - black tea and green tea. No sugar, no coffee, no complementary water.||All info in the room, including a card for 24/7 massage availability is in Japanese. ||No gym.||No pool.||No spa.||No hairdresser's.||Breakfast is Japanese style with some limited European products (Japanese version though). Bad coffee :((((((||||Staff is friendly but with very limited English and don't seem to be too keen to help you. They remain polite but you won't be getting what you need immediately. For example, when I asked for a plug adaptor but the girl couldn't understand what I needed. ||||When I went up to the room and it smelled tobacco. I went back to the reception and asked for a room change. They asked me to wait 5 min without answering whether it is possible or not, and three of the ladies stared at some list of paper, poking fingers in some lines of information there for ages. I asked - so what is happening - will they be able to help me? Was told to please wait. Maybe it is the language barrier, but made me feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. Eventually, they gave me another room. Less smelly, but this time with stinky bathroom. There is a ventilation that turns on with the lights, so I had to keep it on all the time not to suffer from the stench. ||||BTW, try to change your money to Japanese at the airport upon your arrival, as it is not available in some places (like Fukushima for example).||||There was a sign at the reception - bottled water - 100 yen. I asked if I can have a bottle of water, since I had no Japanese money on me, can they put it on my room account? They said no, go to convenience store near by. But I just flew in after 12 hrs flight and 3 hrs train ride to get to that place, was exhausted and super thirsty. Why not to offer me damn water??? I was very annoyed. Then a travel agent called them (coincidentally) about my logistics arrangements and might have said something to them. Suddenly, with a big fake smile they gave me that water for free. Geez.... ||||Overall, if I was a tourist, I wouldn't...

On a business trip to Fukushima and stayed at this hotel booked by our Host company. Generally, hotel is nice, very clean, beds are comfortable, not a luxury brand. Hotel is on the line of a Holiday Inn or similar. Breakfast came with room rate and the restaurant is on the 15th floor. When you get to Fukushima, it appears to be a very small city and feels that way also. The view from the 15th floor surprises when you see the city spread out below you, it is larger than when walking around. ||||My two bad experiences were with an Older Bartender on the 15th floor. On our first day we went for a drink and it was closed, he allowed us to sit and enjoy the view but seemed very grumpy and not welcoming at all. Last night I was for some ice and went up to the bar, I approached him and asked if I can have a few blocks of ice, he said "NO" and just walked away. I was a little surprised but already had the earlier experience which just confirmed our impression. He did not appear to appreciate foreigners, or tolerate intrusions by them. I would suggest going across the street to the many nice restaurants if you want a drink.||||The hotel is directly across from the train station, which makes it very nice if you are dragging luggage around, which we were. There are a few other hotels directly in the same area, just a block or so away from each other.||||The staff, except for our grumpy bartender, were very nice and helpful, and accommodated our every request. ||||Note of caution, this is a remote area of Japan, and unlike Tokyo or Yokohama, do not expect to meet staff that speak English, so be prepared with a few known Japanese words and a lot of patience. Expect the same from any trips out onto the town. Also, if you are squeamish about cigarette smoke, this may not be the place for you. In the hotel and in the restaurants, smoking is allowed, as in many cities we have stayed since arriving in Japan. If you are really an anti-smoker, you may want to choose a different venue for your adventure. In the case of hotels, they do have Non-smoking rooms and floors, but you have to request it. The same for restaurants, some had Non-smoking sections, but as in an open area, the smoke smell still comes across the whole room. We were not bothered by it,...

Hotel Celecton – Overrated and Disappointing Experience

This hotel was disappointing, especially when compared to other hotels offering similar services.

Parking Frustrations

The parking situation was the first major letdown. I get that the hotel is close to Fukushima Station, but having its designated parking 300 meters away while charging ¥1,000 per night seems unreasonable. What’s even more frustrating is that there’s another parking lot right next to the hotel charging only ¥550 for a full day. It makes no sense—why is the hotel’s parking almost double the price?

Is it just because of its location? I have no idea why this hotel is so highly rated on Trip.com, but after this experience, I’ll be more skeptical about online reviews.

Room & Facilities

The rooms are small and feel quite outdated. They still use a mechanical key, which adds to the old-fashioned feel, and the air conditioning only has three settings—low, medium, and high. No temperature control? Seriously?

To make matters worse, the bathroom blower wasn’t working, which was another annoyance.

The Only Positives

To be fair, there were some good aspects: • Proximity to the station is convenient. • The view from the 12th floor was nice. • The elevator was smooth and efficient. • Breakfast (buffet style) was actually great.

But beyond that, it’s a very basic and forgettable stay.

Would I stay here again? Probably not. The parking issue alone was enough of a hassle, and the outdated facilities didn’t help. Definitely not worth the high rating...