Smile Hotel Kanazawa Nishiguchi Ekimae

The service really stood out. I ran into a problem with another hotel, and the staff patiently helped me sort it out despite my limited Japanese. Our twin room was spotless and spacious, and the hotel is very close to Kanazawa Station.

The Japanese breakfast was amazing, and the location is ideal, just a short distance from the train station. We had a really comfortable stay, with huge rooms and strong air conditioning and heat.

The laundry room on site was a big plus, and the location works well when arriving from the station. There’s a small coffee table with two chairs, and I found the antibacterial spray in the room really handy. The room was comfortable for two, though we had to juggle our bags around. It came with cups, a kettle, and a fridge, but no spoons for drinks, including the powdered matcha available from the service trolley. You have to ask for spoons, and you can request an extra pillow at reception too. The heater wouldn’t go below 21°C, and the room reached 24°C. Still, it was comfortable and good value.

The room had more space than some Japanese hotels, with large, comfortable beds, a kettle and tea setup, and a fridge. The bathroom, though, was tiny. Water pressure was good, and the air conditioning worked well. The hotel also has laundry, a microwave, and an ice machine. Breakfast was good, but noise carried from other rooms. We could hear kids running around upstairs at night. The pillow was hard.