OMO5 Kanazawa Katamachi by HoshinoResort

The tea appreciation session was nothing special, just two small cups of kaga bocha, something you can taste at any tea shop. The woman explaining it spoke so softly that Google Translate’s voice capture picked up the customers behind us instead. The location made getting around difficult. The hotel is on an inaccessible road where cars can’t reach the entrance, and it’s not near Omicho Market or Kenrokuen. A taxi wasn’t practical, and I had to handle my own luggage arrangements. They don’t provide luggage delivery service. During my three-week trip, this was the only hotel that told me to walk to a 7-Eleven, fill out the Yamato form in Japanese myself, and send my bags on to the next hotel. Their only transport option was sending bags to a delivery office five minutes from Kanazawa Station, where I had to collect them. Other hotels offered door-to-door delivery, which was much easier. I deeply regret booking here. It was the worst hotel of my three-week Japan trip for logistics, location, and flexibility. I only booked it because everything else was full over the public holiday weekend. The fact it still had rooms then should have been a red flag. Its cancellation policy was another problem. In my trip, it was the only hotel requiring a non-refundable booking 30 days ahead. When I tried to change dates 28 days ahead, they were extremely inflexible. I wanted to turn my one-night stay into two nights, but my request was rejected within a minute. It felt like nobody had seriously read my explanation, and no one offered alternatives, such as combining my two separate bookings. Japanese hotels normally allow free cancellation up to two days before, so this policy was unusual. There are plenty of other hotels with more flexible booking policies, and I strongly don’t recommend this one.

Our stay had been great until checkout, when we were told the hotel couldn’t send our luggage to OMO5 Sanjo Kyoto, where we were going next. We were confused, disappointed, and dissatisfied. It’s hard to believe a premium hotel wouldn’t offer this convenience, especially when we had two big suitcases to move through snowy weather to catch the train. That incident really overshadowed our time at OMO5 Kanazawa. We love Kanazawa and will visit the city again, but we don’t think we’ll stay at this hotel another time.

At 7, 8, and 9 in the evening, they serve tea and something sweet, which was a delightful treat. Breakfast was beautifully set up and I enjoyed it, though I can’t have dairy, so my choices were limited. There wasn’t any plant-based milk for my latte. The hotel itself is beautiful, with a minimalist style and lovely attention to detail. The rooms are comfortable, the staff kind, and everything was very clean. Laundry is available and easy to use.

The hotel was modern and very clean, with friendly front desk staff. The bed-side lights were awkward for us to reach, since we had to climb over to turn them on. There’s paid breakfast on the first floor, but the food was just okay. The hotel is on a closed road, so if you have a car you need to walk about 5-8 minutes around the corner to the subsidized parking garage. Self check-in is available, and staff were there to help speed things up. It’s within walking distance of malls and major city attractions, and there are lockers for luggage if you want to explore after checkout.