Aomori Center Hotel

The free onsen and shared lounge were the best parts for me. The location is good, the room was comfortable, and parking was adequate. It does feel a little dated, and the toilet was small, but neither changed my positive impression.

We had a queen bed and two twins, and there was loads of space in the room. It was clean, the shower had great pressure, and the AC got seriously cold. The free breakfast was great too. My family and I were surprised by how much we liked the place, since it's so tucked away that you'd hardly know it was there from outside. One FYI: I didn't use the onsen, but noticed tattoos aren't allowed. Highly recommend it.

Breakfast was plentiful and decent, though the canteen-style room was loud, with onsen visitors using it too. The onsen itself is free for hotel guests, but I didn't find it worth visiting. It can get packed with locals, and seems popular with them. The room price was outrageous for what the hotel offers, probably because it was peak cherry blossom season. The hotel is past its prime. It's in a run-down area near the National Road, though Aomori station isn't too far. Finding it is hard if you can't read or speak Japanese, and reception is on the second floor. My room was tiny, with a bathroom that felt claustrophobic. I could only get a smoking room, so I had to choose between the awful stale cigarette smell and the noise from the nearby National Road with the window open. Staff were unfriendly. Probably the worst hotel I've stayed at in all my many trips to Japan. Stay away if you can.

The free breakfast and onsen were the parts I liked. The design is very dated, but the hotel is okay as long as you don't expect much. The room was about standard Japanese size, though the bed felt quite hard to me.