Hotel Metropolitan Kamakura

Having a MUJI store and cafe right downstairs made the stay even nicer. The hotel is comfortable and super convenient, with the station only about a two-minute walk away. It's my favorite place to stay in Kamakura, and I'd definitely come back.

The Muji feel runs through the whole hotel, and the staff were friendly, helpful, and spoke good English. It’s also in a handy spot near the train station and a major shopping street. The minimalist rooms were comfortable, and breakfast from Muji cafe was excellent.

The little touches in the room were thoughtful, especially the eye masks, foot patches, and kids’ amenity pack. Nearby, there’s a supermarket and pharmacy across the street, plenty of places to eat, and Kamakura Stn and Komachi Dori St are only a two-minute walk away. The stay was generally fuss-free. One thing to know: onsite parking is paid and needs to be reserved. I hadn’t realized that when booking through a third-party site like Agoda or booking.com. I’d suggest a first-come, first-served system, especially for tourists. They did let me park because there were plenty of spaces available.

The manager eventually changed our room and said the staff member hadn’t understood English well enough. That makes the earlier explanation more concerning, because it means we may have been told the hotel was full when that wasn’t true. We had asked for a room away from the emergency exit, but were instead given directions to our room. When we checked, it was right next to that exit. After struggling to communicate in English, I used a translation app. The staff member then said the hotel was fully booked that night and ours was the last room. I trust the hotel, but wondered if that was meant to stop us questioning the assignment. The staff also seemed annoyed, as if we were causing trouble. It’s a new hotel in a convenient spot near the train station, but the English communication was a problem. It’s ironic that the hotel replies to reviews here in English.