Eco Hotel Hanaya (エコホテル華屋)

I love Kamogawa. Even after spending three wonderful years there, I still go back an average 1-2 times per month. Often enough, it is because I am blessed to have wonderful friends who call me out for dinner (and some drinks!).

But, Kamogawa is a close but far 1 hour, 40 minute drive from Chiba City. Not to mention that Japan has really really strict laws against drunk driving (not that I would want to anyway!), I spend the night almost every time I go down to Kamogawa.

It's always fun to stay with friends, but I also like to take advantage of the fact that I am no longer a local resident, and explore the city from a more "tourist" point of view - including trying to stay at the different hotels, ryokan, etc. all over the place.

Awhile back, I had dinner scheduled two nights in a row in central Kamogawa. As much as I was tempted to stay at my beloved Hidamari Inn, I knew it would be a waste because I would be out about the entire day and night, and only return to the hotel late at night to sleep. So I decided to look for something simple and cheap!

Entrance to the hotel.

After a bit of research, I was pleased to find the Eco Hotel Hanaya!

It is located just 5 minutes by foot from JR Awa-Kamogawa Station, and in the heart of central Kamogawa. Many of Kamogawa's eateries and izakaya are also located in this area, so it was just what I was looking for - somewhere I could easily go in and out of by foot.

Single Western-style room.

The Hanaya was renovated in August 2011, so it's really clean! Before then, I think it was a ryokan or minshuku (Japanese B&B) with a pretty long history. It may not be the fanciest place, but I stayed in this single for just 4000 yen per night...a total steal when it comes to Kamogawa! The cheapest rates for single guests in Kamogawa are probably around 8000 yen on average - and you'll be hard pressed to find somewhere with a better location at this price.

The single room has a Western style bed, toilet, sink, fridge, and TV - perfect! There is no separate bath for this room, but the Hanaya has two large baths for the women alone - obviously, I don't know what the men's side was like, but I would assume it's the same. During my two night stay, I didn't run into any other guests (though there were definitely other women staying there at the same time). Some of the other rooms do have private baths though.

Recycling, laundry, and other amenities.

As an "eco hotel," the Hanaya is not only nice on your wallet, it's environmentally friendly too! Every floor had recycling bins, and bags to put used sheets/towels in. Electric pots, tea sets, etc. are also set here instead of inside of rooms, so guests can use them if needed.

I don't smoke, so it is a huge merit to be able to stay at a hotel and not come out smelling like smoke. More than often, I've stayed at business hotels that reek of smoke even when the room is supposedly "non-smoking." So this was a lovely surprise for me!

The entrance to the road the Eco Hotel Hanaya is on can be pretty difficult to find though, especially if you're going by car. In this photo, the road is going towards Awa-Kamogawa Station...but the two signs with the arrows are where the alleyway entrance is!

Coming from Awa-Kamogawa Station, if you pass this place, Curry House Satsuki, you've gone too far! The road is located between Satsuki and Yakult.

Anyway, if you are headed to Kamogawa and looking for a place to stay - but want to stay somewhere cheap, clean, and accessible, this is the place for you! The more people you have, I think you can get even better rates. I'm not sure what the details are, but the Hanaya was featured on a TV show because of its special 980 yen rate plan! It might definitely be worth looking into...