Booking of a hotel before the Coast 2 Coast Twistybutt can be a chore but we all have to rest our road weary bag of bones somewhere. So best get it done early and have one less thing to do while taking advantage of ample room selection and even some early bird discounts.

Traditionally, the Twistybutts have congregated at Hotel Monzen no Yu. It’s a sentimental favourite for the Twisted Fossils among us and familiar to anyone who’s read the tale of the first C2C Twistybutt.

Unfortunately, the Monzen no Yu’s prices have jumped and availability has been limited the past several years, apparently due to overlap with some locally hosted events. The Annex section with simple rooms, no toilet or shower but shared facilities, is still cheaper than the main hotel but no longer the bargain it once was and actually comparably priced to fully equipped rooms elsewhere.

Two big pluses for the Monzen is the onsen and food court. The foodcourt has a history of being easily over inundated resulting in slow service for starving and parched riders but the onsen saves the day soaking out the road weary knotted muscles and strained tendons.

So, that brings us to alternatives and for the past several years the Twistybutts have been spreading out more n more over the hotels of Joetsu as numbers have grown beyond what any one hotel could accommodate through random booking, riders being riders looking for something different and bargain hunters hunting. On feedback from the Twistybutts and having stayed at the three hotels below, I’ve heard no bad stories about them yet.

A regular favourite and home base for the Twistybutts several years ago is the Sun Plaza. An older style, it has a sento and restaurant, ample parking, convenient location and decent rooms at decent prices. They’ve been known to give complimentary beers on check-in too.

Around the same price and half way between the Sun Plaza and the coast is Alpha One. Ample parking but not convenient for nearby facilities. They have a breakfast buffet and a smart TV in the rooms.

Next up is the apply named Route Inn Joetsu. It’s about halfway between Hotel Monzen no yu and the coast and close to the river. It’s typical modernish Route Inn with decent rooms, a sento, free buffet breakfast and ample parking.

Personally, I like the Route Inn. It’s no Continental but it’s clean and well equipped with parking not easily scoped from the surrounding roads. Also, they do an early bird special making it good value. Additionally, being by the river it has nice surroundings for a morning stroll.

Lastly, we went to an Italian restaurant a 5 minute stroll from the Route Inn last year that had great food, interesting atmosphere and a revhead owner who welcomed our interactions and asked us back. It isn’t foodcourt cheap but it was worth it and I’ll be there again this year, maybe singing happy birthday to local ladies again. 😄 🎶

Finally, some have been enjoying AirBnB and smaller accommodation establishments in the Joetsu area without complaint. Me, I like seeing other riders and bikes in the carpark but each to their own. I hope to see a lot of you in the carpark, restaurant or hotel this year.

Worth noting, the online booking prices spike around Golden Week and the current prices are much cheaper. Best not think that booking closer to GW is going to get you the cheap prices you’re seeing now for off peak midwinter, you’ll be left sleeping on the beach. 😉

As to who will get in to Joetsu earliest this year, well that’s a whole different conversation. 😉

• If any of you Twistybutts have information or feedback on accommodation you’ve used in Joetsu, please feel free to comment on it below or contact me for a chat.