EN HOTEL Hiroshima

The bathroom had a slightly unpleasant smell, but the staff were very friendly, and there was strong free coffee in the lobby. The location was great, with good restaurants and shops nearby. The rooms are only a little bigger than other Japanese hotel rooms we've stayed in, but that extra space really helped with a bicycle and all our luggage.

There was a constant odd humming sound in the room, which made it hard to fall asleep. It seemed to come from outside, so maybe a higher floor would be quieter. We also only had one power socket, meaning I couldn't charge my phone while boiling water. On the plus side, the room was a decent size for Japan, had a nice view, and the walk along the river from the station took a pleasant 20 minutes. There were plenty of convenience stores to choose from and a few cafés by the river.

For what they charge, I'd tell people to look elsewhere. I won't stay here again. The rooms were dated, barely clean, and small even by Japanese standards. There weren't any in-room coffee or tea facilities, or even bottled water, unlike at the other hotels we stayed in around Japan. The hotel only has central heating, with no cooling or room controls, and it got so hot that we wanted to open the windows. That required a special tool we had to collect from and return to reception. The sparse facilities might have been easier to accept at a lower rate.

The river view was lovely, and it was about a 25-minute walk to the Peace Museum, with lots of restaurants nearby. Our room was clean and comfortable, and much bigger than any of the other rooms we've had in Japan.