Utaimachi

I especially liked having a laundry machine in the room, though a cycle takes about four hours. There’s a kitchen as well, but I didn’t use it. The room was very spacious and had all the amenities I needed. The place is right in the middle of Higashi Chaya District, with areas like Kanazawa Castle and Kenroku-en nearby. For breakfast there are Japanese and Western options. You tell them at check-in what time you’d like it, and I thought the meal was really good.

The small touches at UTAIMACHI really stood out, from the bathtub, lighting, and window screens to the breakfast and customer service. Saori San spent almost 45 minutes calling and coordinating with lost and found to help us locate our missing luggage. We were so grateful for her help throughout our stay. This is an actual historic Machiya in the Kazeumachi area, sharing a neighborhood with many locals. It feels authentic, rather than like a typical hotel customized for tourists. If you come to Kanazawa, UTAIMACHI is the place to stay. It’s a great example of why we love Japan. Come experience it for yourself, and thank you again, Saori San.

The neighborhood gets lively during the day, with young people in Kimonos taking photos and stopping for ice cream, but it quiets down to just a few people at night. Our room looked over a charming narrow street, and there was a separate sleeping area and tatami room. The rooms are large, and breakfast was just the right amount to start our day. We stayed two nights in Kanazawa and loved this lovely inn. The front desk staff were so helpful, finding and booking dinner for us. We had a super fun izakaya experience at Hatsuya. We could easily have stayed a week, and absolutely recommend it.

The room was spacious, with separate areas for sleeping, dining, and relaxing, and the staff were very helpful. Breakfast was generous, but only a European option was offered. We would have liked to choose a Japanese breakfast one day. The toilet, bath, and air conditioning were all high-spec, though the instructions were hard to follow. The online instructions were very basic.