Accommodation Reviews2019-01-22T12:33:07+11:00

Hotel Musse Kyoto Shijo Kawaramachi Meitetsu

This hotel is very well located on a busy shopping street in the eastern part of Kyoto – close to many famous sites.

Reception is on the 2nd floor. We arrive before check-in time and the hotel kindly stores our luggage. On this floor there are toilets, a lounge and a breakfast room available for guests.

We have room 411, a double room on the fourth floor at the back of the building – nice and quiet. Like most rooms in Japan, it is on the small side but quite okay.

We have a small hanging space, a compact bathroom with shower over the bath (soap, shampoo and conditioner are supplied).

We have a double bed, large TV, kettle and cups and a couple of tea bags.

There is no desk but a small built-in sofa and shelf under which there is a very small fridge. There is also a small safe.

The window opens, and one side of the bed is against the wall.

The hotel is very well located within a few minutes walk to Nishiki market and the shopping district of Teramachi.

We loved our stay and can highly recommend this centrally located Hotel Musse Kyoto.

7-11 April
Best Month of Your Life

By |April 11th, 2024|Categories: Accommodation Reviews, Asia, Japan|0 Comments

Smile Hotel Okayama

The Smile Hotel is about a 15 minute walk from Okayama train station but is a bit far if carrying luggage so we caught a taxi to the hotel (1200 Yen).

Smile Hotel Reception is on Level 2 and check in is quick and easy.

Our room is quite small with a double bed, desk, large TV, small fridge, kettle, hair dryer, hanging space and air conditioning.

There is a separate, small bathroom with shower over the bath.

Coin operated laundry facilities are available on the 4th and 8th floors.

A Japanese breakfast is served on the ground floor between 6.30-10am.

The hotel is well located – 1.5km from Okayama Castle and about 2kms from the beautiful Korakuen Garden.  There is a Family Mart and 7-11 close by.

We can recommend a stay at Smile Hotel Okayama.

5-6 April 2024
Best Month of Your Lifeboo

By |April 7th, 2024|Categories: Accommodation Reviews, Asia, Japan|0 Comments

Dormy Inn Urban View Heiwaodori, Hiroshima

This hotel has an excellent location – just a 10-minute walk from the Peace Park and the Peace Park Memorial Museum. It is also only a 10-minute walk to the main shopping street of Hiroshima. Just around the corner is a 7-11, and also nearby is Lawsons and Family Mart.

It is an older style hotel – quite different in décor to the Dormy Inn hotels we have stayed at in Tokyo and Matsumoto.

We receive a warm greeting and there is complimentary lemonade, tea and coffee in Reception area.

We have have Room 615 – a double room.

The room is not huge but has a double bed, long desk with TV on it, small refrigerator, kettle and a window that opens.

The bathroom is small with toilet and shower over the bath, toiletries supplied. The hand basin is in a separate area.

Facilities include an Onsen on Level 8, a guest sitting room with tables/chairs, and a dining room (Hatago) where breakfast is served between 6.30am and 9.30am, and free ramen served at 9.30pm.

There are two washing machines and two dryers on Level 8. The washing machine is free (detergent is supplied), the dryer is Yen for 30 minutes.

During our stay there was a free shuttle service to Hiroshima Railway Station – six services between 7am and 10.50am – best to make a reservation to secure a seat.

We can highly recommend Dormy Inn Urban View Heiwaodori, Hiroshima – the staff are friendly and helpful, it is spotlessly clean and very well located.

2-3 April 2024
Best Month of Your Life

By |April 3rd, 2024|Categories: Accommodation Reviews, Japan|0 Comments

Onyado Nono Matsumoto Natural Hot Spring , Matsumoto

The hotel is well located just a 7-minute walk from Matsumoto Railway Station.

We love that the entire hotel is shoeless as there are tatami mats on the floors throughout the hotel.

On arrival the wheels of our luggage are washed, we place our shoes in a locker and check in.

We have Room 609 on the 6th Floor. It is a good-sized room with a view of the mountains.

There is a double bed, bench for sitting and coffee table, a long desk that also holds a large television. There is a small refrigerator and kettle. We love that the window opens for fresh air.

The hotel has a very attractive onsen on the rooftop with views.

Laundry facilities are also available (washing machine free and washing powder included, dryer 100 Yen per 20 minutes).

On the ground floor is the breakfast room and guests can enjoy a delicious buffet breakfast for 23 Yen.

For dinner there is an excellent food court under the nearby Alpico Plaza Hotel with about a dozen different food outlets serving a variety of food.

We can highly recommend a stay at Onyado Nono Matsumoto Natural Hot Spring , Matsumoto.

28-29 March 2024
Best Month of Your Life

By |March 28th, 2024|Categories: Accommodation Reviews, Japan|0 Comments

Shippo-no-Yu Dormy Inn Premium, Ginza, Tokyo

This is a brand-new hotel, very well located in Ginza – probably my favourite hotel on our trip to Japan.

Check-in is quick and easy – the staff are friendly and very helpful.

We have a double room – Room 807 on the 8th floor – a lovely room with natural light (photos do not do it justice).

It is a well configured, good-sized room. It is in fact two spaces divided by a sliding door. The first space has hanging space, a basin and mirror, under which is a small refrigerator and cupboard with kettle, cups, glasses and coffee/tea.

Just off that area is a small bathroom with shower and toilet – compact but well-sized and organised.

The second space is the bedroom with a double bed, small sofa, coffee table and a desk. There is a good size television and a safe.

There are plenty of electric sockets in the room.

We love that we can open the window for fresh air.

There is also a Daikin split system air conditioner in the room and a dehumidifier/air purifier.

Dormy Inn Premium has excellent facilities:

  • Beautiful Hot Spring, open 3pm-10am (available throughout the night)
  • Sauna
  • Yonaki Soba (Global Kitchen Hatago) – 9.30-11.00pm – complimentary half size serving of soy sauce ramen.
  • Restaurant – Global Kitchen Hatago – 6.30am-9.30am – buffet-style breakfast, 2,300 Yen.
  • Free Space – Global Kitchen Hatago – 3.00pm-11.00pm – a complimentary welcome coffee, juice and water.
  • Sky Terrace Roof 3.00pm-1.00am/5.00am-11.00am – there is a vending machine (including alcohol).
  • Other facilities include: ice dispenser, comic corner, microwave, smoking booth, coin laundry (washing machine free, dryer coin operated), free probiotic drinks and ice pops at certain times during the day.

The hotel is well located:

  • It is a short walk to Chuo-dori, the main shopping street of Ginza.
  • There is a Family Mart convenience store directly across the road.
  • The closest Metro station, Higashi Ginza Station, is a 5-minute walk from the hotel, and it’s about a 15-minute walk to the main Ginza Station.

We can highly recommend a stay at Dormy Inn Premium Ginza.

22-27 March 2024
Best Month of Your Life

By |March 26th, 2024|Categories: Accommodation Reviews, Japan|0 Comments
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