Kamenoi Hotel Kochi

I previously stayed at this hotel when it was called Kanpo no Yado, but I didn't realize it had changed its name to Kamenoi Hotel. I remembered seeing it on a travel website and thinking the view was beautiful, so I decided to stay. This time, I booked a breakfast-only plan since my check-in would be late. The two women at the front desk were polite and friendly. The large public bath had a strong salt content, and there was also an open-air bath, so I was able to relax. Another service was the all-you-can-drink service next to the front desk until 9:30 PM, which was a nice change of pace. I don't drink much, but I enjoyed beer, highballs, and snacks while watching the night view. They also offered midnight soba noodles, so I was able to eat dandan noodles. It was delicious! If I had to point out one disappointing point, it would be the breakfast. The rice was delicious, but the fried foods and other side dishes looked like something you'd find at a business supermarket. Recently, many hotels have started to promote their breakfasts, and compared to those, this one paled in comparison, so I didn't feel like having seconds. I think this could be improved in the future.

This was my first time staying at this hotel. The room was clean and the food was especially great.

**Very inconvenient location if you don't have a car** Pros: The view is amazing. They have a restaurant, free welcome drinks, a spa and a tiny shop. The staff are very kind. The room was amazing and had everything you could think of! They even provided a power lead and a multi-purpose cable!! If you like onsens, they have a spa here too and you can borrow a Yukata from the first floor. They provide breakfast and dinner at their restaurant. Dinner was traditional Japanese cuisine. The staff were also nice and spoke English which I appreciated but did not expect. The breakfast is a buffet with a lot of choices!! They also have a midnight meal which consists of free ramen. Again, the view from my room (9th floor) was amazing!! It's very quiet and the only sound you'll hear is the train going on the bridge every hour or so. (Or the drip drip drip of your toilet). They are responsive on the phone too. I had to call them because I would miss the time I said I would be there for dinner and when I asked if they could speak English, they couldn't. But they still helped and I got my message across with my horrible Japanese. I hate phonecalls and it was nerve wracking, but they handled it professionally. Cons: Very inconvenient to get to if you don't have a car. I had to walk from the train station about 15 min and then up a hill to get here. They do offer a shuttle bus service but only from the airport and not from Kochi station, that I saw. (They could offer a pick up service or something from Ino station maybe) Google maps will at first lead you to Ino station and tell you to walk 40 min. But Hakawa station is actually closer but only accessible using the local train (and you have to buy a ticket as IC cards are not accepted). The breakfast times are so early (7:00-9:00 and suggested last order time is by 8:00). The pillow is super hard. It gave me neck pain and a headache and I woke up almost every hour or two. Eventually I just set aside the pillow and slept on the mattress itself. Eventually I decided to use the small brown pillow and that helped a little.