日本で最も革新的なホテル体験 – 星野リゾート OMO7 高知
Hey, it’s Maximo and welcome to Maximo’s Travels. In this video, I’ll be doing a detailed review of the Omo7 by Hosino Resorts Hotel in Kochi, Japan. I’ll provide my opinion on the hotel’s location, offer my opinion on this spacious yet somewhat uncomfortable Japanese style room, provide you a detailed review of their breakfast buffet, as well as their outstanding dinner buffet, show you the unique, memorable, and free nightly entertainment the hotel provides. give you an overview of all the hotel’s facilities, its on-site car parking arrangements, and the hotel’s marvelous views from its upper floors in very changeable weather conditions. Join me as I provide a detailed hotel review of the Omo 7 Kochi, Japan. [Music] We stayed at the Omo 7 by Hoshino Resorts in Kochi, Japan for three nights and it was one of the most unique and memorable hotels I think I’ve stayed at for quite some time. The hotel was opened by Hosa Resorts in June of 2024, but the building itself was completed in 1997, and it was originally the Hotel Niko. The hotel was not only rebranded, but it was extensively renovated. And this really goes to show in all areas of the hotel, especially the interiors and the rooms. The exterior architecture does look slightly dated, though. We arrived at dusk on a very, very wet Saturday evening in quite heavy traffic and surrounded by road works everywhere we went. It was slightly stressful navigating in the twilight and heavy traffic and heavy rain. We made a brief stop at a convenience store to stock up on supplies and then continued on to find the hotel. We eventually found the front foyer of the hotel, drove in and checked in. Parking is available at the rear of the hotel for a,000 yen per day, around about 10 Australian dollars. I will be covering the hotel car park later on in this video. The hotel is very conveniently located on the outskirts of the center of Kochi near the Kagami River around about 1 kilometer from the Heromi market and 1 and a half kilometers from Kochi Castle. Kochi is a reasonably large city of around 320,000 people and the Omo 7 is one of the tallest buildings in Kochi, so it’s fairly hard to miss it if you’re looking for it. It’s located in quite a nice part of town and it’s situated on an arm of the Kagami River. And this area does look slightly moody and bleak when it’s raining heavily and the sun’s not out, but transforms when the sun’s shining and there’s blue skies. And I can only imagine how nice and be with the trees in full flower in a few weeks time. This four-star hotel is hugely impressive inside. It has a cafe and bar that’s just adjacent to the main reception area. It even has a small shop selling travelers factory and Hasha resorts goods. The whole of the interior features light color woods and it has quite a modern, youthful and funky vibe about it. And the whole ground floor has a very inviting feel. It really draws you in and invites you to stay. There’s even a small lounge area at the front of the building as well as some tables and chairs where one can do some work. The area also boasts a very modern and wooden staircase. It’s huge and allows guests to walk through a very modern area from the ground floor lobby area to the first floor and the restaurant dining room upstairs. It also serves another purpose in the evenings that I’ll discuss later in the video. The dining room is located on level two. This is used to serve the complimentary breakfast in the morning. Dinner is served here from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. nightly. It cost 6,000 yen or around about 60 Australian to dine here. And I’ll cover our experience of dining in the restaurant for dinner later in the video. You can get coffee, alcoholic drinks, light sandwiches, and snacks in the bar downstairs most of the day. Breakfast for us was included, but if you want to pay for this separately, it’s 2,500 yen or around about 25 Australian dollars. Unfortunately, every breakfast we had to wait for 10 to 15 minutes for us to be seated. It was quite busy in the mornings. Breakfast is a buffet style and it’s served from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. daily. The breakfast buffet is reasonably extensive and it’s very, very high quality. Most of the food is Japanese and they have quite a few dishes from the local Shukoku Island area as well. Everything is well labeled and importantly all the dishes have their different allergens listed on them. They even had quite a range of sushi and they even had vegan sushi available. I’m not really sure what the vegan sushi is made from, but it did actually look like fish of some sort. There was quite a wide range of vegetarian dishes for Joe and there was heaps of gluten-free dishes that kept me well and truly satisfied. Joe said that the danishes and bread options available were particularly nice, as were some of the breakfast desserts. The buffet also seemed to have quite a few healthy options such as steamed veggies and uh raw foods, salads, as well as some less healthier options such as desserts, croissants, and mini melon pans. There was some Western food, but it was limited to eggs, bacon, sausages, and plain sliced bread. And I’m not sure why, but the Japanese tend to favor their scrambled eggs being really, really runny. There was also some chili available, but for breakfast, that was uh probably a bit too much for me. They provided fresh fruits as well as homemade and very, very nice yogurts with a whole lot of different toppings that you could add to them. Different fresh tea drinks were available. And one of the things I really really liked here was not only their rice, but some of their pickled fish dishes such as this pickled salmon. I do believe that pickling fish is a common practice and delicacy in the Shikoku area. You served your own coffee from a coffee machine and the standard and quality was quite good. There was even a French toast station where French toasts were prepared fresh on order. They weren’t gluten-free, so I didn’t try them, but Joe did and said they were great. I have my breakfast feast. You’ve got yours, Joe. [Music] [Music] Later that same evening, we came here for dinner just the one time. The price was 6,000 yen per person, plus drinks. The drinks were reasonably priced, and there was a reasonable selection of them. The food was just as good quality as we’d experienced at breakfast, and the style of food was similar to what was presented at breakfast. Most of the dishes were Japanese, but were just slightly few more westernstyle dishes available, especially in the desserts. And I do think the desserts were one of the highlights of their dinner buffet for sure. As per breakfast, it was quite busy in here. And if you’re wondering why I’ve taken shots of dessert first, that’s because everyone was crowded around the savory areas and hadn’t yet reached the dessert table of the buffet. And unfortunately for me, there were quite a few gluten-free options available. Here’s what’s left of the roast pork after the hordes of guests came through the savory areas. Again, there was quite a variety of food, both gluten-free and vegetarian options, and everything was well labeled. The service here was fantastic because shortly after I took all this video, the staff replenished anything that was looking a bit low. Everything was really aromatic. Not only did it smell good, but it tasted absolutely fantastic. All the dishes were just so flavorful. All the food was presented really, really well. And it actually looked all pretty healthy. I was really impressed with this buffet. And I think $60 Australian per person was well worth the quality and variety of food that we were able to get here. There was even a soup station where you could select your different types of soups and add all sorts of different ingredients to it. I don’t think much of this was gluten-free, but it looked absolutely spectacular. There was also a salad table and you can get all sorts of different types of salads and salad pastas. It just looked really really nice and appetizing. There are your Japanese pickles and there was quite a few to choose from and they were really really delicious as well. They served a whole heap of different vegetables cooked in numerous ways. We really were spoiled for choice. There was so much great food here. I would highly recommend the dinner buffet to anyone that stayed at this hotel. There was also a sushi and sashimi station, and this was quite well frequented by the guests at the hotel. There were so many different delicious types of sushi and sashimi available. The quality, taste, and freshness were outstanding. I even tried some of the locally made teas, and they were equally delicious. One of the highlight dishes at dinner was seared bonito. It was just fascinating to look at the chef prepare this wonderful meal. [Music] I have my dinner feast. Rice beef, sushi, seed tuna. That’s what the fire was all about. And different pickles and fish. What have you got there, Joe? You got a little bit of pasta. I’ve eaten half of mine. You’ve been busy. I have some vegetables with some cream sauce. I’ve got some pasta salad. This is a particular I haven’t tasted it yet. Green sauce. I don’t know what it is. Or I had like five chips as well. Five chips. Only five. There weren’t any there. Okay. I’m going to get stuck into mine. A few inches later at 9:00 p.m. every night, this area transforms into a theater and the hotel post a Yoso festival that runs for 30 minutes. Originating in Kochi, Yusiko is a vibrant style of Japanese dance that combines traditional Japanese dance elements with modern music and choreography. The dance features the use of wooden clappers and vibrant costumes. Not a word of English was spoken in the whole performance. At the start, we were given instructions on what to do with the clappers. [Music] [Music] Lord [Music] honey she [Music] Hallelujah. You are your s [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Stop. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. That’s [Music] Here’s the spectacle taken from a different angle so you can see the crowd participation. [Music] [Music] Hallelujah. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] That show would have to be one of the most bizarre yet unique experiences I’ve ever had in a hotel in my life. And it’s totally free with no need to reserve tickets. In fact, I don’t think you even have to be a guest at the hotel. You just have to rock up and enjoy the show the next morning. So, we’re just waiting for our car to be bought down from tower one tower the tower parking. And we’re old hands at this. So, we’ve done this before. We know what to expect now. It’s not quite as traumatic as the first time in Okinawa. Shouldn’t be too long. Parking here is $10 per exit, which is pretty uh reasonable. It looks like there’s 74 car spots in this tower car park and it’s right adjacent really at the back of the hotel. Oh, and there’s a car there. Got the key. There’s the key. And I’ll come up. Okie do. [Music] That’s it. We’re at Arato. later that night. There’s a water dispenser on each floor, but there’s only ice on the eighth floor. So, we went to the eighth floor to find the water dispenser and ice machine, a laundry, a vending machine, and a microwave. And right next to the microwave was a single vending machine that sold water, tea, coffee, soft drinks, but sadly no beer. Here is the guest laundry on the eighth floor. And there’s three machines. The only thing is is that it’s cashless and you need it says a smartphone. Yeah, but what on your smartphone? Hard to say. And just use the QR code. So, I worked out that you can’t pay for this using a credit card. So, I’ll come back this afternoon and try and do a load of washing. The hotel features indoor and outdoor public baths and sauners which I couldn’t film and also I didn’t use. These pictures are taken off the internet. We weren’t aware that there was a second restaurant on the 22nd floor of the building offering fantastic views of Sachi and the surrounding area. The hotel seemed quite large and tall. It was 22 stories and it seemed a lot bigger than its 133 rooms seemed to suggest. The hotel had two lifts and we never had to wait very long in order to get one. We were staying on the 18th floor in room 1808. The hotel was on the pricey side costing around 89,000 yen or around about $315 Australian dollars per night. you were staying in a basic tween room of around 280 square ft or 26 square m. It’s quite a decent size really. All right, so this is our room. It’s reasonably spacious enough, but as you can see, the bed is right on the floor. Two single beds. And there’s a table and a couple of I don’t know what you call them. Cushions. Japanese style. Japanese style cushions. And I’ve got to say um this room isn’t for the inflexible or anyone over 60. In my opinion, it’s just too hard trying to get in and out of bed and in and out of those Japanese style cushions. It’s just not a hugely comfortable space for that reason. Now, we’re on the 18th floor and this is a magnificent view. Nice blue skies today, unlike yesterday, but absolutely fantastic view of Kochi. Really nice wide screen TV, kettle. You’ve got a fridge, safe, uh, glasses, and kit. There’s a power point under the bench, rubbish bin, fairly decent amount of space for your suitcases, and there’s some coat hangers for a couple of jackets. You won’t get much on there, but just a few things. Complimentary slippers. You also get a pair of complimentary house pajamas that you can wear around the hotel. The hotel to keep not to keep. No. So overall fairly light filled spacious room. Not all that comfortable to be in for more than a couple of days. So separate toilet. Japanese style with all the fancy buttons. There’s a hand basin and a reasonable amount of storage space for all your things. And there is a Japanese style shower here with complimentary body soap, conditioner, shampoo, and the shower is very, very good. Excellent water pressure. All right, that is our room. There’s chargers, USBA and USB C, as well as a power point each side of the bed. And there’s a little shelf above the bed, too. The other thing I’ll say about this room is that it’s really, really warm. We’ve uh haven’t had the heating or cooling on here in the couple of days that we’ve been and a couple of mornings it has reached zero. So, it’s very very well insulated and just a comfortable temperature without any heating at all. We had a high room on the 18th floor and with a city view. We particularly like how the light kept changing with the different weather conditions and the difference between a rainy gloomy day and bright blue skies and sunshine was quite stark. We really did enjoy our stay here. It’s quite a unique hotel. The only issue is the lack of comfort in the room that we were in. We should have paid a little bit more to go to a signature room with proper westernstyle beds and seating because spending hours and hours with dodgy knees and a dodgy back on the floor isn’t my idea of fun. And if you’re interested, this is a view from the riverside of the hotel. Both on a gloomy day and on a sunny day with blue skies. I think I just prefer the city view over the river view. I think apart from the comfort of the room, we really really enjoyed a stay at the Omo 7 in Kochi. The hotel has paid parking available. The food and breakfast and dinner was absolutely fantastic. The service was good and we even got free entertainment at night. The hotel really looks like it’s undergone a decent renovation. Everything was clean and modern. I’d give this hotel a maximum rating of four out of five with at least 3/4 of a mark off for a less than comfortable room. But if you’re young and spritly, this won’t be a problem for you. And if you’re mature and rickety, pay a bit more to get a decent bed. I do hope you’ve liked this video. If so, please consider hitting that like and subscribe button. Hit that notify bell so you’ll never miss another upcoming video. If you’d like to support my channel, please consider buying me a coffee or hit that super thanks button. Until next time, you take care and bye now. [Music]
This as a detailed review of the OMO7 Kochi by Hoshino Resorts.
It’s one of the most unique hotels i’ve been in for quite some time. At 9m nightly a 30 minute Yosakoi show is performed.
It’s quite remote, located on Shikoku Island, Japan. There are few western tourists that stay here. the hotel is located close to the city centre and Kochi Castle.
We stayed in this hotel for three nights. After extensive renovations at the hotel it was opened by Hoshino Resorts in June 2024.
Its luxurious yet affordable. The room for three nights cost cost ¥89,100 ~ AUD $945 inc Breakfast or AUD $315 USD $206 per night. Buffet Dinner was an additional ¥6,000 per person plus drinks.
If you have a rental car the Multi Level Car Park costs ¥ 1,000 per day.
We stayed on the 18th Floor in a spacious Basic Twin Room with excellent views of the Kochi. The hotel has 133 rooms.
I’ll explore all the hotel facilities including the buffet breakfast, Shop, Buffet dinner, Onsen; and provide a detailed room tour.
We really enjoyed our stay here, The hotel offers reasonable value a memorable experience but I would choose a western style room to ensure a more comfortable stay. I give it a Maximo Rating of 4 out of 5
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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:06 Details
03:19 Common Areas
04:18 Breakfast
07:40 Dinner
11:58 Yosakoi Show
17:10 Car Park
18:36 Facilities & Onsen
20:09 Room Tour
24:28 Summary & Outro