Ise Guest House Kazami — Hotel in Ise

ISE GUEST HOUSE KAZAMI (Geku, Use) LOVELY HOMELY GUEST HOUSE BUT WITH NO FRILLS

We arrived into Isuzugawa station without any reservations or idea where to go but knowing we wanted a night to go and see okage Yokocho, ancient street and the shrine.

We walked past thinking it was just another Japanese home to find out it was a guest house what luck we initially thought. We entered and as usual with guest houses and inns in japan they are empty with no reception until after 4pm or 6pm.

We left and explored the area for more hotels but went back at 4pm as we liked the natural wooden feel and look of the place. We entered and met a lovely Japanese receptionist who welcomed us and informed us they had 1 private room left for the night which is what we wanted.

We checked in and paid a whopping 8000 yen for 1 night however we paid as it was getting late and we know in Japan everything has to be booked in advance. The room was quite quaint and new with bunk beds and futon style mattresses. Shared bathroom outside or inside on the first floor.

We were happy until we went to sleep, as the room is next to the street we were kept up all night by (1) Our neighbours who were noisy but didn't help that the walls between rooms were paper thin. (2) the silly street crossing chime that never stopped dito dito dito like every 3 minutes (3) traffic going past which vibrated through the thin walls.

So in the end we didn't get much sleep and the futon mattress was water thin so waking up with sore hips was the first thin we noticed along with points 1 to 3. The place is really nice and we met the owner who was super friendly and welcoming but when you charge 8000 yen for poor quality your not getting value for your yen.

The staff showed us around the property which was nice the ground floor then the first indicating some free whisky and sake bottles for guests to take a sip and the kitchen area.

However charging 100 yen for bread after paying 8000 yen for a room is a little cheeky and not very welcoming. It would be nice to have a simple breakfast included within the price to give more value. Also free towel use.

If we paid less then obviously the owner would need to make more money from additional items as we have experienced, we paid 6000 yen for the past 2 nights and had access to a full free breakfast, towels, bathrobes, public baths, vending machines, laundry and a super cozy noiseless room with a whopping 40 inch TV. So price is relative to what you are offered and we didn't feel we got value.

Recommendations If your flush without worrying how much your spending go and take a private room or dorm room away from the street.

The guest house is really beautiful made entirely of wood and no doubt the owner has invested a large amount of money and time into this project which is really admirable.

Take some advice and review some simple recommendations from someone who has been traveling around the world for 30 years. Have a contact in the reception so guests without bookings can call or contact someone. Provide a simple breakfast of breads and pastries for guests,it's nice and very welcoming even if it is just bread and coffee which we've experienced for the past 3 weeks in other guest houses. When you have more funding, insulate the walls to block noise from the street and surrounding rooms as tourists can be noisy. Provide free towels as this is nice too.

In summary you have great staff, a super homely guest house and a bright future learning from guest feedback and experiences.

Transportation Quite close to Uyiyamada train station only 5 minutes walking.

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A true hostel with very welcoming, nice people. The interior is that of an old style inn. Everything is indicated in both Japanese and English. The rooms are spacious and basic with air-conditioning and fan. You sleep in old school Japanese style, on a futon which you need to lay out yourself. Toilets and bathrooms may seem old but everything is clean. Soap is provided and towels can be rented at 100 yen per towel. Tale a shower on the top floor and enjoy the summer breeze with a morning view over the city. In the kitchen there is everything you need to cook and free thee, coffee is available. They even provide a nice piece of bread for 100 yen. The main entrance is also the main attraction, it is the meeting place where you can read, listen to a live concert or talk and bond with other travellers over a beer (only 300 yen). Highly...

We originally planned to stay longer, but left after the first night. We booked a private room, but were downgraded to the 10 bed dorm. First we were happy since some private rooms don't have windows, but the windows in the dorm were closed at night - oxygen deprived with 10 people sleeping. |The staff had a few non Japanese members (volunteers I guess) who were incredibly annoying. Japanese culture is characterized by not drawing attention to yourself and respecting other people. These guys definitely didn't! Yelling the whole time (even in your face "arigato con sai mas" thinking that's funny?), playing a flute in the communal area where people were reading or calling family/friends. A few fellow Japanese travellers felt the same, but didn't feel comfortable complaining. Do yourself and your guests a favour and get rid...