Mercure Wakayama Kushimoto Resort & Spa — Hotel in Kushimoto

I can't complain about my stay too much because the room stay cost performance was the best. The food at the dinner buffet had a surprising variety of foods not normally served in Japanese hotels (brisket, various ethnic dishes) and the food quality was pretty great. The dinner buffet price was ￥8,000 per person (middle school aged children and up), so it was pricey for me as I don't eat a lot or drink alcohol and my son doesn't have a big appetite in general, but it's a good value for others. There is nothing near the hotel unless you walk down the mountain, which wouldn't bother me, but my child demanded to relax on the first evening so that was that. Breakfast buffet is similar in that the price is on par for most hotels, but again if you're not a big eater it's not worth it. The second day of our stay we headed out into town and found a great sushi restaurant where we ate our fill and the price was very reasonable. The hotel rooms are old to the extent that I thought I was dreaming at first. It is clear that this is a Franchised Accor property, because they have not put any budget into updating the rooms at all. The renovation seems to have been done principally in the public space, which is appreciated, but there is no reason to have a room safe or refrigerator from the 1970s. The entire room looked like it was flash frozen in time. Having said that, it was clean and comfortable for sleeping, and I suspect that a room renovation will result in higher prices. People who don't mind walking will find the path into the town below very reasonable, and the beach is accessible and quiet. I didn't interact much with the staff but I have one minor complaint: the souvenir/amenity shop is only open for limited hours in the evening and there is nowhere else to go. There is a smoking room on the lobby floor, but the staff do not have lighters to lend out to guests nor will they bother asking anyone in the back if they happen to have one. It's a minor thing, but it bothered me a little bit and I ended up having to ask another guest in the smoking room to assist me. Perhaps consider being flexible about this one point if you do not offer a way to purchase small items like that outside of gift shop hours. If I had one more request of the hotel, it would be to please open up the outdoor space to enable guests to stargaze. After the pool is closed, it seems that no one goes out there and it is not clear whether or not it is allowed to be out there at night. I ended up standing next to the parking lot just to look at the constellations. In a town that aggressively markets the rocket and observatory, it seems odd that the hotel promotes zero night sky events, etc. My child loved the onsen and went in 4 times during our stay. The pool was welcome but a bit small. I would probably go back and stay again, but will make sure to purchase my own breakfast/snack items in advance and stick to the restaurants in town for lunch and dinner (oddly, the hotel doesn't serve...

High on the hill overlooking the bay, Kii-Oshima and the remarkable Hashigui-iwa rock formation, this holiday hotel lords over the town – as it has done for decades. Which cues its biggest shortcoming – it’s getting old and needs a major refurbishment. However it was comfortable enough for an overnighter. || ||The good: our ocean view twin room was one of the largest standard hotel rooms we have experienced in Japan. All the necessities were there and in customary Japanese fashion, it all worked as expected and was scrupulously clean. ||Breakfast is a good spread of Japanese staples however make sure you get in before the bus tour groups (if any) as it’s quickly cleaned out and slow to be replenished. Plenty of free parking. The staff are universally polite and accommodating and their English is usually enough to get by on. || ||The not so good: the hotel décor and furnishings are dated but the bathroom in our room was a trip through a museum of the late 70s. Everything was in good order and worked fine but it was just old hat – as was the functionality which was a salient reminder of the no-so-good old days. Given the size of the room the bathroom is miniscule and a very limited place to get anything done. ||The ocean view rooms get some noise from the train line down below but there doesn’t seem to be any trains overnight. We couldn’t get the included wifi to work but then we didn’t try too hard. During our spring stay the air-conditioning was little more than a fan. Whether it performs any better in more testing conditions...

We stayed 2 nights at this hotel and had no issues at all. Many reviewers have commented on the age of this hotel, but it is in quite good condition compared with other Daiwa properties we’ve stayed at in the past and the age of the property didn't make an impression at all. ||The room we stayed in was a family room with 2 single beds, as well as a tatami area. The beds were a bit hard, but the futons were very thick and comfortable. The room was spotless and the bathroom offered several amenities, such as Shiseido bath and hair products, combs, toothbrushes, q-tips, and so on. ||Being from North America, I’ve always been shocked to have to pay for a hotel amenity like a pool, but this one had a nominal fee of 250 yen for children and 500 yen for adults and so it didn’t bother me too much. You can also buy beer and other beverages on the pool deck, and the views of the ocean are incredible.||The best part of this hotel is the Kuroshio Onsen, which has a large indoor bath as well as a beautiful outdoor bath with views of the hashiguiiwa and ocean. Beware that upon checkout, you will have to pay a “bath tax”. I don’t know how that is calculated, but there were 4 of us for 2 nights and we were charged 600 yen In total.||The breakfast buffet was well done, although they seemed to always run out of things like pancakes, fruit salad, and juice. The ume-boshi were particularly delicious and I bought some from the well-appointed gift shop upon our departure.||We can’t fault the service and cleanliness of this place and would recommend it to anyone who is...