VIA INN OKAYAMA — Hotel in Okayama

This was my second time staying at Via Inn Okayama after the last visit in Jan 2017.||I did have great expectation on it due to last visit was excellent.||Location||Just located at the exit of JR Shinkansen station and no problem even heavy rain outside. GU and a small shopping mall were just located within 1 minute walk. AEON,underground shopping street and Takashiyama were just within 5 mins walk.||Front desk||They kept the baggages for us before check in. Check in was fast and no problem at all.||Breakfast||It was good when compare with other budget & business hotel. Same as ususal the breakfast area was small and crowded so we tried once only.||Room||Clean & tidy. Bath lotion, shampoo, conditioner, hair dryer, kettle were all inside the room. There were laundry machine on 15th flloor but we didn't use them.||||The only negative comment for my stay at Via Inn Okayama was as below.||One day we came back after the lunch time, the door of elevator was not fully opened when it arrived on 15th floor. We got out the elevator immediately. We did avoid to take that elevator again when they went out after one hour. When we arrived the front desk, we did inform the staff immediately and raise our concern but she did not take action promptly. She spoke limited English, I used the Google translator to show her what happend on the elevator. After communicated with her for a while, we found out that they still let the guests using that elevator again without stopping it at all. To be honest, I felt very disappointed on her arrangement. I knew she was busy due to many check in guests during that time but for safety reason, she should not allow any guests to use it before occuring accident.||I can say I will give this hotel 100/100 if no such bad experience occured during my stay this time.||||Will I stay this hotel again?||Not sure anymore due to the...

The room was more than fine for my needs, and the hotel is certainly in a very convenient location. Everything is clean, and it had all the usual amenities you'd expect from a business hotel.

I would give it 4 stars for those reasons. However, I wouldn't go back for one reason - the lifts. The reception is on the 5th floor; you take one lift there and another to your rooms. The first pair of lifts (between the station walkway and the hotel) are the issue. These are not the hotel's lifts; however, you have to use them to get in and out of the hotel. As they are shared with shops and clinics, they're always in use in business hours. Imagine watching lifts go up and down between floors but not reaching your floor, but also knowing that when a lift does reach your floor, the 6 people with suitcases in front of you will mean you can't actually get on it. And the bus or train you had planned to get has...

We stayed here one night when visiting family and friends.|We arrived by bus and left by Shinkansen the next day.|The hotel is right in the bus and train station complex.|Don’t have to venture out into the weather at all.|Reception is via lift to the -5 floor and that is where you get breakfast.|From there you get a fantastic view through huge windows off the train station below, it is a great spot to see the local and Shinkansen trains coming and going every few minutes, a great hotel for train spotter to stay.|Our room on the 9 floor was comfortable and again with a nice view, also it was nice to be able to open the window a little to get fresh air.|Breakfast was nice with a good selection.|Great place to stay especially if travelling by...