The Kanazawa Sainoniwa Hotel

The hotel is lovely, and breakfast was delicious, which made the second night especially disappointing. After a great first night, I found the air-conditioning in my room had been switched off. Reception said it was disabled for winter, even though it was October and around 20° outside during the day. They agreed the room was hot and brought me a fan, but I slept terribly. It seems such a shame when they could simply have turned the air-conditioning on. Otherwise, it's a beautiful hotel.

The lobby lounge has free coffee and tea, and there are nice gardens and plenty of little spots to sit and relax. The hotel also has free laundry machines and a shuttle to and from the station. Staff were very friendly and attentive, and the rooms have a really well-considered layout. I especially enjoyed breakfast, including the Japanese options and even ice cream. Excellent service all around. I wish every hotel were like this one, just perfect!

The public onsen and traditional Japanese garden made my two nights here especially enjoyable. It's a beautiful, peaceful place, and the staff were so warm and attentive. Absolutely stunning, I'd highly recommend staying here.

What stayed with us most from our four nights was how welcome the staff made us feel. They recognized that we were foreign tourists and made an effort to communicate in our language, which we really appreciated. They were attentive to what we needed and answered our questions clearly and helpfully. My partner and I have visited many cities in Japan, but our time at Kanazawa Sainoniwa Hotel stood out and gave us some lovely memories.