Kanazawa Hakuchoro Hotel Sanraku -Natural Hot Spring-

A three hour Shinkansen ride from Tokyo gets you to the opposite side of the main island, to Kanazawa and well away from the now crowded cities on the eastern seaboard. This hotel, with its own Onsen is not very touristy, so no crowds with piles of cases hugging the entrance. The staff were unfailingly polite and obliging, in recommending and booking restaurants and taxis. The rooms are generous and spotless, with the option of getting cash credits for drinks in the lounge, in lieu of cleaning daily. The breakfast room was huge with a mainly Japanese menu, but plenty of options for westerners. The drinks lounge/ foyer was large with cosy groups of lounges, and complimentary piano recitals were every evening (from 9.40 -10.10pm precisely). There is also a free shuttle bus between this and two other hotels and the main Kanazawa Railway Station, with space for luggage. The location is an easy walk to the Castle and Kenrokuen gardens, and the marvellous fresh food market, historic geisha quarters and quality tourist shopping. (Book a local guide to enhance these cultural experiences). Day trips to the Shinagawa UNESCO World Heritage village (and others) - again with your own driver was worthwhile. That we had both residual snow, and emerging cherry blossom (late March/ early April) was an added bonus.

I loved this hotel. It was my favourite hotel of the trip. The staff were so professional and welcoming. The lobby is beautiful and they have very talented pianists playing every night. It was the perfect place to unwind and have a drink in the evening or take a yuzu tea after visiting the gold leaf art galleries. The breakfast had an excellent range of Japanese dishes and the best home made tofu I have ever tasted. The shop has beautiful gold leaf souvenirs. I still have the slippers two months later, they are the most comfortable hotel slippers I have ever tried.

A bit dated and a bit tired, but what a lovely hotel with large rooms and great location. Sitting areas in the room were wonderful, the onsen was very nice, we really enjoyed our stay here. Everything we needed for the two days we were in Kanazawa were within easy walking distance. It's location counts for a lot. We had a room that faced the castle though it was not high enough to let us look over the castle grounds. Still looking into the hillside at nature was a nice change for us.

Excellent location just steps away from Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen Gardens and a few minutes walk from Kazuemachi and Higashi Chaya. The hotel staff are very friendly and helpfu. l The room comes with all the standard amenities (we had a Japanese style room). The hotel is quiet at night. The cost of the hotel may seem a little steep but the value can be gained by using the really nice hot spring baths (no private baths).

The hotel was situated conveniently close to the castle and the beautiful Kenrokuen garden. A short nature walking trail with beautiful statues leads you to that area of the town. The room was very tastefully decorated. A level of class that you don't see very often. We enjoyed the hot bath Onsen. The nights we stayed there; the hotel had a classical pianist perform in the lounge. The lounge itself is a standout with beautiful stain glass windows. The breakfast buffet was very nice. A good selection of offerings, and the room itself was very welcoming as was the service. The staff were very polite and attentive, and English was understood at the front desk.