Hotele z: Gym w Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

The room was quite spacious, and being right by the sea, I could enjoy ocean views from the window. The location is super convenient – it's only about 300-400 meters from the Big Ferris Wheel, 700-800 meters from the Red Brick Warehouse, 200 meters from the Convention Center, and 300-400 meters from the Portside Shopping Area. Chinatown is roughly 1.3 km away, and Noge Yokocho is about 1.2 km. Absolutely fantastic location!

We arrived quite late, but the front desk staff was very friendly. The room itself was clean and tidy. You could see the harbor from the lobby, which was a nice touch. It was cloudy during our stay, so I didn't get many good photos of the hotel's interior. Compared to Tokyo, rooms in Yokohama at the same price point are much more spacious. I'd definitely recommend staying in Yokohama!

I flew from Hokkaido to Haneda for an overnight stay, with an early morning flight the next day. So, I didn't get to use many of the hotel's facilities. However, there's one thing that truly stood out: the free shuttle bus service to and from the airport and Kawasaki Station. It ran perfectly on schedule, exactly as published, and the drivers were incredibly polite, professional, and even helped with luggage. The instructions for taking the shuttle on the hotel's website were also very accurate. Upon check-in, the front desk provides a boarding pass; make sure to keep it with you, as you'll need to show it to the driver whether you're going to Kawasaki Station or the airport. Besides catching the shuttle on time from the designated spot at T2 upon arrival, I also took a ride to Kawasaki Station after checking in. From Kawasaki Station, I took the JR to Ueno Park, which cost 440 yen one way, passing through famous stations like Shinagawa, Tokyo Station, and Akihabara along the way. In the evening, I returned to Kawasaki Station and caught the last shuttle back to the hotel exactly at 10:45 PM. The next morning, I took the first shuttle of the day from the hotel to the airport at 5:20 AM, again, perfectly on time. This kind of reliability is incredibly important for travelers. Next time, I'll definitely plan to stay for a few more days. A big thank you to all the hotel bus drivers! 🌹

My main reason for choosing Hotel Indigo was the expectation that a foreign hotel would offer more diverse food options than traditional Japanese cuisine, and that the rooms would be more modern. Both expectations were met, which was great. However, the hotel's location is quite remote, making it difficult to walk to Gora Station. Thankfully, the hotel provides a shuttle service to the station from 10 AM to 6 PM. If you plan to take the shuttle to Odawara, remember to book it in advance at the front desk. There's also an unsightly warehouse-like structure next to the hotel, which is a bit of a letdown considering how secluded the location already is – it really spoils the view. Around 90% of the guests here seem to be Western tourists, likely in groups, as the breakfast area was almost full before 8 AM. For dinner, we decided to eat near Gora Station and had some excellent unagi (eel) rice. A taxi back to the hotel cost us 700 yen. For first-time visitors to Hakone, I'd recommend staying in Hakone-Yumoto instead, as it's livelier, offers more dining choices, and has more convenient transportation. Also, the hotel's public bath is mixed-gender, requiring you to bring your own swimwear or borrow special attire from the front desk, which I found a bit inconvenient, so I didn't end up using it.

When checking in, the hotel will explain the tourist route of Hakone. It's a no-brainer to check in and just follow the map provided by the hotel. The service exceeded my expectations. I felt like a princess returning home during my stay. I thought this was the standard Japanese service. But later I stayed in other hotels and found that the service of Gora Kadan is far better than other hotels of the same price. The room is a bit old and the shower is also very old, but it is cleaned quite well.

The hotel's location is excellent, with a direct elevator from the MM line subway right to the hotel entrance, making it very convenient for getting around. The rooms are quite spacious and come with a microwave, a mini-fridge, and a countertop. The breakfast is quite generous, mainly Japanese and Western style. The front desk provides common amenities like toothbrushes, toothpaste, and combs, but there are no small-sized skincare products or facial cleansers, which some other hotels do offer.

This is a brand new hotel. I stayed in a standard twin room, which at 26.5 square meters, is quite spacious for a Japanese hotel. The bathroom has a separate wet and dry area, and the shower was particularly comfortable. To get here, exit JR Yokohama Station from the North-West Exit. Take the elevator on your right up to the pedestrian bridge, walk about 30 meters, then take another elevator up one more level. Walk about 10 meters forward, and the entrance is on your left. Staying near Yokohama Station is great because it's a bustling commercial area with large department stores like Takashimaya and SOGO, and plenty of dining options. More importantly, transportation is incredibly convenient. You can take the JR Keikyu Line directly from Haneda Airport, and you'll arrive at Yokohama Station in just 20 minutes. The bus terminal is located next to Sogo Department Store at the East Exit of Yokohama Station, offering many bus routes for getting around. The Sankei-en Garden in Yokohama is breathtaking; you can reach it by taking a municipal bus (the green bus) from Exit 2 here. All in all, if you're visiting Yokohama, choosing this hotel is definitely worth it. I hope this information is helpful for independent travelers.

Very good service for an affordable price. I stayed two nights in female dormitory, the bed is spacious even the top one,I was provided with towels and a kimono-style robe, which was very comfortable. There are two private onsens in the inn, you can reserve any of them the day before. Also, there is a small kitchen with cooks, you can order a breakfast and a dinnir a la carte, which is very convenient. The only downside is that you have to bring the luggage uphill when checking in, but it is not a problem when checking out because there is a free transfer provided each morning to the Gora station.

This is a very nice hot spring resort hotel. Finding it at this price during the New Year period is great value. The hotel is quite close to Carved Forest Station, or you can go to Gora; there's a free shuttle bus. If you're taking public transport, you can get off at Tenyu Station. The rooms are large, with balconies, a reasonable layout, separate wet and dry areas, and heating. The hotel itself has a hot spring. If you want to dine at the hotel, you need to make a reservation in advance. There are also restaurants nearby; I arrived quite late and had some yakiniku (grilled meat) nearby.

Every city's soul resides in a hotel. The Peace Hotel in Shanghai, the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, the Ritz Paris. These masterpieces, born from local spirit, aesthetics, and a unique mission, are irreplaceable classics, forever one-of-a-kind. They are undeniably the ultimate experiences to explore in these great cities. In 1871, a 20-year-old Japanese man moved to America for work. After saving enough money, he returned to Japan during the Meiji Restoration and enrolled at Keio University. There, he was enlightened by Fukuzawa Yukichi, the father of modern Japan, and first realized the importance of international tourism. In the same year (1874), Emperor Guangxu was only 3 years old; the gears of history began to turn. Fukuzawa's portrait is still on Japan's highest denomination banknote today. The young man, Yamaguchi, realized that Japan didn't have a true hotel for foreigners. So he picked up a blank piece of paper and began to draw the blueprint for Japan's future state guesthouse: 1. A place foreigners would love most. 2. Close to Tokyo, with beautiful scenery. 3. Must have natural hot springs. The intersection of these three coordinates landed in the Miyanoshita area of Hakone. In 1878, Japan's first resort hotel – Fujiya Hotel – was born. However, fate was cruel; just 5 years later, a major fire engulfed the hotel, along with all records since its opening, turning everything to ash. The once eternal legacy became as thin as a wisp of smoke. Fortunately, Yamaguchi resolutely chose to rebuild. In 1891, the new building was completed and has been operating ever since. The symmetrical facade and main entrance portico emphasize a solemn ”frontality.” Inside, there are sofas, fireplaces, and radiators. Even the height of the doorknobs and beds was customized to suit the stature of Westerners. Yet, at the same time, the graceful curves of the Japanese roof, vermillion railings, and dragon wood carvings constantly remind you – this is Japan. No other hotel can better interpret the four characters ”Wa-Yo setchū” (a blend of Japanese and Western styles) than Fujiya Hotel. During the war, it interned over 70 European and Central/South American diplomats. Over a hundred years, the countless celebrities, dignitaries, and royals it hosted are dazzling: Charlie Chaplin, John Lennon, Albert Einstein, Yukio Mishima, The King of Belgium, the Crown Prince of Sweden, the Duke of Windsor, Emperor Hirohito, the Last Emperor Puyi, Chiang Kai-shek... For nearly 150 years, Fujiya Hotel has witnessed the collapse of countless colossal powers. How many kings and generals once stood by its west-facing windows, witnessing the twilight of their empires? I checked in during early summer, like pushing open a door to time. The hustle and bustle had long faded, but it still retained its former glory, humbly yet proudly refusing to awaken. Time stands still here, leaving amber-like imprints, as if nothing has ever truly left.