Ibaragi House in Kanazawa

The staff were helpful, the rooms were clean and roomy, and there’s a kitchen for making breakfast. The location is great too. I’ll definitely come back!

We booked because the one-night rate was very cheap during the pandemic, but I was a little put off by the separate cleaning fee. Airbnb fees may be common, but this was my first vacation rental through Booking.com, and I didn’t notice the fee being added at the very end. I should have checked more carefully, so that part is on me. The rental is close to the city center and tourist spots, but sits in a quiet residential area. Still, the place wasn’t especially clean: dust had built up under the curtains, and it wasn’t sparkling. The building also seemed old, so I imagine winter could be cold. Maybe because of partial renovations, the oddly designed door makes getting to the shower room, which has no bathtub, confusing. There’s one free parking spot, but it takes several maneuvers to fit a regular car, and a minivan probably won’t fit. An irrigation ditch runs in front, covered by loose metal plates. Driving over them makes quite a racket. Late at night, the plates clanged whenever another car passed, which was bothersome in this otherwise quiet neighborhood. The road is narrow but gets a fair amount of traffic, so parking felt stressful. We were traveling with family for a long trip and appreciated having a washing machine, but there was no drying equipment at all, so we had to use a nearby laundromat. The English instructions are detailed, perhaps useful for inbound tourists, but all the warnings felt excessive to us as Japanese guests.

There are stylish shops nearby, and the location is handy for Tatemachi, Shintatemachi, Kanazawa Station, and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art. For the price, the place is clean, and having a washer/dryer is convenient. I’d like to stay again on another Kanazawa trip. Both the first and second floors can sleep up to five people, so next time I’d like to come with a group.

We used the place as the reception area at the finish line of a cycling competition.