SUMIYA Spa & Hotel

There’s a coin laundry, which was useful since I don’t like taking dirty clothes with me, and you can top up your water at reception. Toiletries are provided too. It’s a good budget hotel within walking distance of Hiroshima Station. Just be aware the toilets and bathrooms are shared, with no private bathroom in the rooms.

The room was the biggest letdown. It felt dark and depressing, with old wallpaper, poor lighting, frosted windows with bars, and hard pillows, though the bed itself was okay. We paid for a private bathroom, but there was a sign telling guests not to use the toilet and to go to shared toilets on other floors, except the third. We were on the third floor, and after paying for a toilet I was going to use it. The shower took ages to warm up and the temperature kept changing; its fixed hose meant hot water could hit you in the face or groin. There was no spa, despite the place calling itself a Spa and Hotel, and I’d been looking forward to relaxing in one when we arrived. The location, at least, is excellent: a few minutes on foot from Hiroshima train station, with convenience stores nearby. With luggage, that short walk was handy. There’s also a nicer-looking hotel nearby. I’d only stay here if I needed a bed and nothing else, not even a shower. Otherwise I’d go to the APA across the road. People checking out looked disappointed and relieved at the same time.

The walls are thin, so other guests’ doors opening and closing are easy to hear. The shared showers are on the first floor, with coin laundry there too, though the machines don’t dry clothes properly. Hot water takes a few minutes to come through. Toilets are shared on each floor. Room cleaning costs another ¥1000 and you have to tell reception a day ahead. The location is handy for the JR station, and the receptionist spoke good English and offered tourist information.

There’s coffee, tea and a microwave in the common area. I booked a private room with shared bathroom through Booking and thought it was good for the price. The toilets and sinks on each floor were clean, and the ground-floor showers were clean and had all the necessary amenities.