Candeo Hotels Matsuyama Okaido

Central to everything: Okaido is a major stop for local buses, highway buses, and streetcars. The nearby shopping arcade has lots of shopping and food options, too, and the castle ropeway is just a five minute walk. Unless you plan on using the JR station every day, it's hard to find a better spot. The rooms on the south side of the building have balconies with an outdoor couch, and they're surprisingly spacious. I think I would prefer more space in the room, perhaps to make the bathrooms bigger, but it's a nice amenity if the weather's good. A retractable awning or something would make it more usable in summer. The beds and pillows were just right, not too soft but not too firm. There's a little living room area with a couchlet and table, which are decent for a laptop but not as good as an actual desk. The bathroom is on the smaller side but there's no tub, so the shower stall is big enough to move around in. The bathhouse is nice, with both an indoor and outdoor soaking tub. The men's side has a view of the shopping street below, which I bet would've been cool if I could see without my glasses :)

The room and entire hotel was very comfortable, quiet, and clean. We appreciated the easy availability of the elevators as well - they were quick, quiet, and large. The hotel is close to transportation and convenience stores. If you're headed to Imabari to do the Shimanami Kaido, the bus stop to take you straight there is just across the street.

A well-organized and commercial-style hotel. I was grateful to finally encounter a front desk staff in Japan who could speak English—thank you also for professionally placing my luggage in the room in advance. The room was quite small, but the large window helped prevent it from feeling too cramped. Unfortunately, I was too tired to enjoy the spa, which was a pity. The surrounding area is great for walking and shopping, and I really liked the atmosphere of the night market. However, it was a bit too crowded to feel truly relaxing.