Yokosuka Housing & the Navy Lodge

Once we arrived on base we stopped at PSD for those meeting sponsors and then were off to the Navy Lodge. We got checked in, got to our [newly renovated] room with a queen bed, a bunk bed, shower (no tub) small fridge and microwave ($65/day) and all took a nap. By this time it was about 2 pm and we were physically and mentally drained. Our reservation was made months prior for two queen beds and a kitchenette for $72/day (we had that in 2008), but they weren't available. At check in we were placed on a waiting list for one of those rooms. During our 18 days there we did not get into the larger and more comfortable room. Our sponsor was very kind and left a bag of snacks for us at the front desk. The Lodge also provided a welcome basket/bag per their website (a quart of milk and some bottled water). They've got coffee every morning in the lobby, but not the complimentary breakfast that "starts the day off right" as stated on their website. There is a NEX mini mart next door which is convenient and the commissary is a 10-15 min walk away. We ate out in town quite a bit and made microwavable meals in the room. There's a Chili's a stone's throw away from the Lodge too.

They're renovating right now (started in November) so the playroom is an office and the playground out back is closed. It's scheduled to be completed in March. They've got two laundry rooms on the second floor but only one is accessible via the elevator; the other stairs only. If you need to print something you've got to email it to one of the staff and they'll print it out for you. At first we were told there were no printers but I asked another person and got a different answer.

The Yokosuka Housing Office is next door to the Navy Lodge and has a brief at 8:30 am every day except the first Wednesday of the month. Get there at 8 when they open, sign up for the brief (if you haven't already in advance) and fill out the paperwork. Several ladies were going in and out of the room and shortly after each person was handed a piece of paper with their name on top. On it was a list of available units specified for their rank and family size. On Bob's list was a handful of Yokosuka apartments, no Yokosuka townhouses, one Ikego townhouse and a lengthy list of Ikego apartments. He selected what we wanted, handed in the paper and was on his way to work. He made an appointment for later that afternoon for us to sign additional paperwork. Units were available so there was no waiting list for housing. Our control date was June 20th but that was irrelevant. Everyone in the room was assigned housing that day.

As far as the Navy Lodge is concerned, make your reservations as soon as possible. Before finding out we had to fly on the military flight we planned to arrive a couple of days after Christmas. I first tried making Navy Lodge reservations back in early October.  We didn't have dates or details, but reserving a room was the priority. I tried the toll free number and the hotel directly and was told the same thing. Their calendar only went out until Dec 31st so each week I called trying to extend it through January. It wasn't until the week of Thanksgiving that I was able to do that. When we were checking in there were people that said they had made a reservation but no rooms were available. They were given a Certificate of Non-Availability (CNA) and sent to a hotel off base.