Reviews of Toyako Guest House Ponkotan 1 stars

One of my favourite guesthouses ever! Very comfortable bed and nice room with plenty of space for belongings and to hang laundry (coin laundry downstairs). The staff were very lovely and helpful and the location right near the lake, ferry and fireworks was perfect. I was also able to extend my booking easily.

Extremely friendly and helpful host who gave me lots of great information about the area upon checkin. There's a cute cosy shared space on the first floor. The rooms are small so you aren't sharing with millions of other people.

No view of the lake which is a slight bummer. The place is also clearly a private operation rather than a big corporate chain, which is charming but does mean fewer modern amenities like the big capsule hotels.

Staff were very nice, place is cozy and homey. Quiet

The building is old but very clearly cared for and well maintained

I stayed there for a night with the purpose to watch firework and enjoy onsen at a nice hotel without breaking the bill, Ponkotan did meet and even exceed many of my expectations for a dormitory accommodation. The location was great, short walk to bus terminal, to the water promenade to appreciate firework, and to many good onsens that you can enjoy day visit at a very good price, near to convenient store as well. The staff was friendly and helpful to answer any questions. Bed and pillow were surprisingly comfortable, and the small fan they provided for each pod helped a lot to keep your sleep cool and at peace in the hot summer night. Plenty of spaces to store things and hanging clothes. Wi-Fi was great, even better than some 4 stars hotel I stayed in this trip. Basically they provided everything beyond what you will expect at this price. And lastly, the small restroom inside each room is a plus and I really really like the smell of fragrance they used, made the entire place very comfortable.

Like what other comments mentioned, the bed is basically made from wood. It’s quite sensitive to movement. No matter the person in upper or lower bed, or even on the opposite bed, moves, it will create noise. I was so tired with late sleep several nights before and all others stayed in the same room was quite considerate of each other, so it was not much problem for me. But please be aware if you’re light sleeper.

Nicest staff I’ve encountered ! Facilites are easy to access. It’s really clean.

The beds are a little inconfortable and there’s just a simple blanket to sleep with.

Great place - super clean and friendly. Rooms have a nice set up - 4 beds to a dorm, plenty of storage space (lockable as well) and air con. 2 shower rooms at top, they were always clean and available during my 3-night stay. Close vicinity to the lake - quick walk to see the daily free fireworks or cycle/ferry to Nakajima island. Staff are friendly and had some great recommendations on places to eat, where to rent a bicycle etc and a good chat in the shared common area.

Keiko chan was a lovely host, she introduced me to many things around town

Probably should bring your own locks for the lockers

Lovely spacious room with heaps of storage space/room to hang clothes to dry. The mattress was very comfortable! Great location close to the lake, combini, bus terminal and soup curry mog mog. The owner was so lovely and helpful!

Nice discussions and informations in english with Gina (German help by the guesthouse). Walk mount Usu, walk to the craters, swim in the lake, look at every days fireworks, enjoy Onsens around...

Everything, the staff was so kind, very to happy to converse even in basic japanese, recommended me a fireworks show being held at the night of my stay, so worth it.

my only (ONLY) gripe was that in my room of beds the aircon unit wasn't working, but I assume it will be fixed in due time. Luckily it wasn't that hot so it was fine.

Nice location very close to the lake, comfy beds and living room with kitchen.

Everything okay :)

I had a wonderful stay here! The owner is incredibly sweet, cute, friendly, and super helpful—she even speaks fluent English, which made communication so easy. She went above and beyond by picking us up from Toya Station when there were no taxis or buses available in the area. The room was very spacious, spotlessly clean, and a fantastic value for money. The whole place is well maintained and peaceful, perfect for solo travelers or couples looking for a quiet, comfortable stay. I would absolutely stay here again and highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area!

-NA-

The hall and the room are very clean.

I was the only guest while staying there:) the owner was lovely. Super helpful and kind. Recommended an amazing onsen. The location is superb. And it was super clean and quiet.

The owner is very friendly and helpful. Good location for exploring the area and great value for money!

Very comfortable and clean!

The matress was really comfortable! And unlike most hostels like this, the bottom bunk is higher so you can sit on the bed without crouching close to the floor. The ceiling between bottom and top bunk is also higher than most places so I did not hit my head not even once, which I usually do. Heating was good. I like the perfume in the bathroom and hallway. Also each bed has a huge drawer that fits a cabin luggage open, so it was easy to reach my things.

I could not use communal space before check-in