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.

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.

This place is gorgeous! The stained glass windows, rooms, restaurant vibes are all stunning. Plus it has a hot spring inside the building! Its in a great location, close walking distance to convenience stores, fish market (an absolute must), izakayas (most amazing meals we have eaten) and is right next door to the gorgeous gardens that lead to Kanazawa castle park. There is so much attention to detail with the staff, service, rooms, crockery etc. We accidentally left some items in our room when we checked out and they were happy to send them to Australia for us (at our expense, but other hotels have refused).

I particularly liked that the Hotel has a private onsen (natural hot springs bath/pool) open to hotel guests at absolutely no charge. Plus, if you forego daily room cleaning, you receive daily a 1,000 yen (about $7) to defray the cost of the excellent buffet breakfast. There is a special elevator that takes you directly to the onsen. My room was very clean with a small comfortable couch - a 2-seater.

The Onsen! after walking everywhere on foot in the rainy weather, it was a joy to soak in the bath at the end of the day. and have an ice cream at the end. The staff was very helpful and patient in setting up an emergency dental appointment for my mother. The live piano performance was lovely, especially with all the stained glass windows. The hotel is superbly conveniently located for the major attractions of Kanazawa!