Hotel Yamashiroya

It’s a basic place that does the job. The staff are friendly, and the rooms are cleaned and looked after well, though they’re a little old.

That temperature control in the bathroom was a great touch. You can set the water directly instead of adjusting it yourself with the tap. I stayed here on a business trip, and the convenience store next door and all the nearby restaurants made things easy. Just keep in mind most of the shops close at 11pm.

I slept well here, even in the middle of downtown. It’s completely quiet in the room, and the price is excellent for what you get. The location puts Peace Park to the west, Nagarekawa to the east, and Hiroshima Castle to the north, all within walking distance. The single rooms are tight, so I had to open my suitcase on the bed. There’s a balcony for emergencies, but it opens onto no view. The unit bathroom has a small tub. Individual air conditioning is a plus, and the room also has a refrigerator, air purifier, old-fashioned towel rack, kettle, and two Japanese tea bags. The hotel is small and historic, right in the heart of Hondori, Hiroshima’s main shopping street, between downtown Kamiyacho and Hatchobori. The lobby is small, with a reception-style front desk, and a very pleasant female staff member greeted me with a smile. There’s one elevator, but it never seemed busy, with only about six rooms on each floor. There’s a restaurant on the first floor that’s a bit pricey, and an izakaya in the basement. Both seem to be run separately. You can pay with cash or credit card, but not PayPay. The key is an old-style push-button one, and you leave it at the front desk when you head out. Breakfast isn’t included. Nearby Bora Bora has its own roasted beans and a historic feel, and you can get delicious coffee there. I also liked that it’s completely non-smoking.

There are discounted rates for stays of two nights or more, and some west-facing rooms have spacious balconies. I booked through a major domestic online hotel and stayed for two nights. On arrival, I noticed a low-pitched noise from the ceiling in my first room. They moved me quickly, and the staff were friendly about it. Overall, I had a pleasant stay. It’s a relatively small business hotel that seems family-run, right downtown and a one-minute walk from Tatemachi Station on the Hiroshima Electric Railway streetcar. It’s showing some age, but it was clean, had standard amenities, and I didn’t feel uncomfortable. There’s a microwave, shared PC, and coin laundry on the first floor.