Wakyu

The Concept Hotel WaQ, pronounced “wa-kyu”, combines the facilities of a Western hotel with the customs of a Japanese inn. At the lobby, you have to take your shoes off before stepping in; the shoe lockers here have these sliding wood-block keys. Instead of toiletries and other amenities being provided in each room, you have to pick what you need from racks near the front desk, which I actually like. I generally pack my own toiletries instead of using the hotels’, so it’s good to know I’m not wasting so many resources in that regard. The twin room I booked, while smaller than other twin rooms I’ve experienced in Japan (which is saying something), was nonetheless manageable. The beds are full-size mattresses (not futons), laid right on the floor instead of on a bed frame, but I still had no trouble sleeping on them. In addition to small en-suite showers in each room, there are shared onsen baths, one each for men and women, which were on the hotter side as onsens go (which is saying something). I’ve read that the ladies’ bath is less-developed than the mens’, basically just a jacuzzi tub, but neither I nor my travel partner can confirm that. But gender inequality aside, for what class of hotel this is, the staff goes above and beyond in its level of service. We opted to eat our own breakfasts instead of the Japanese-style breakfast provided for free; on our first morning, the concierge noticed we seemed to be skipping breakfast, and gave us a couple of Soyjoy bars so we wouldn’t go hungry. I think that says it all.