The run around

I seemed to have been getting the run around from some of the hotels on Miyajima. Some of the smaller Japanese hotels (both Western style and Ryokan) charge per person in a room and prefer a minimum of two people in a room. I had been attempting to book a room in a Miyajima hotel, that offered rooms specifically for single travelers, since October. Unfortunately I never received an e-mail back to any of my reservation requests until just recently and was told that there was nothing available. (Personally I don't think their website was functioning properly and it was not submitting my reservation requests.) I found a second hotel on the island and tried to book it only to be told again that nothing was available.

Then I tried a family run ryokan called Watanabe Inn. Unfortunately they don't seem to want my Yen. I was told that it was not possible to book a room for a single traveler. So, I offered to pay the normal two person rate but be the only person occupying the room. Now this is an especially good offer to a ryokan since most of them seem to work meals (breakfast and dinner) into the nightly room rate. I was offering to pay them for two meals that they wouldn't have to make...pure profit for them. Again I was told that it is impossible and to find another place to stay:

We are very sorry it is impossible to pay two person rate for one person stay.

Please look for another inns.

So I have decided to book a room in a hotel very close to the Hiroshima port. This will allow me to visit Miyajima but it will also make it very easy for me to take the ferry to Matsuyama the following day.

Hotel headaches aside, I am happy to know that a very good friend of mine from Phoenix will be flying over and staying in Tokyo with me for two weeks. This is great news! Party on, Garth!