Rihga Royal Hiroshima Hotel

We paid £68 a night for two people, so the basic room and its few issues didn’t feel like something to complain too much about. The hotel is in a great spot for Peace Park and the ferry to Miyajima, with several restaurants to choose from. We ate at the Luore buffet restaurant, where the range and quality of food were amazing. Our free drinks voucher got us into Columbus bar, which had a lovely atmosphere, subtle music, and great service. The bartender was a lovely guy, chatted with us, then came out to work the lift and bowed as we left.

Breakfast had lots of variety and was worth including, even though it was busy. The hotel is comfortable and very central, and the front desk was polite and professional, though check-in took longer than at other hotels on our trip and they had more trouble with English. Our spacious, clean king room had a good view and a reasonably comfortable bed, but there was still a cigarette smell despite it being a non-smoking room. We mentioned it and asked for help. They said they could look into switching us, but would need to do it then; the hotel was full and changing later would be difficult. Since we only had a day and a half and wanted to get out sightseeing before dark, we accepted the room. They said housekeeping would try sanitizing spray and set up some kind of air purifier, but when we came back a few hours later, nothing had changed. It was bearable, but not ideal for us because we’re sensitive to smoke. The bathroom was clean and functional, if a little dated. The washer-dryers worked, but took a long time to dry, so start early if you can.

The room was a highlight: spacious by Japanese standards, spotless, and with a lovely view of Hiroshima Castle from our higher floor. Having morning tea while looking at the castle was wonderful. The hotel has an elegant, well-kept old-school feel, and the staff were professional, helpful, and always bowing. Breakfast offered a good mix of Western and Japanese food, and I thought the value for money was excellent. Getting here from the airport was easy because the limousine bus stops at Hiroshima Bus Center, which is basically connected to the hotel. No hauling heavy bags over pavements like in Central or Tsim Sha Tsui. Sogo department store is right next door for food and shopping, and Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome are about a ten-minute walk away. It’s a grand, comfortable place in a great location. I’ll definitely return when I’m in this part of Japan, lah!

The location is quite good, but I wouldn’t choose this hotel again. We picked it partly because it had parking, then were charged a very high parking fee. Breakfast didn’t have much variety, there was no water in the room, and we found hair in the bed. It also wasn’t a particularly busy time, yet they gave us a room with a bad view. I don’t recommend it.