Matsue Excel Hotel Tokyu

The breakfast buffet was a highlight for me. I like when Japanese hotels serve local dishes, and here I tried akari clam soup, eel, and flying fish cutlets. I really enjoyed them. The hotel is a little farther from the sights than some of the other business hotels by the station, though in Matsue that mostly means the castle. There are restaurants and bars nearby, and I thought the service, breakfast, and price made up for the walk. The restaurant seemed too pricey and fancy for me, so I skipped both breakfast and dinner there. There's a small conbini in the main building for snacks. The room was a decent standard Japanese business hotel room and felt like good value, perhaps because the city doesn't get a huge number of tourists. It had a range of amenities, and the chilled mineral water waiting on arrival was much appreciated in the Japanese summer. The heat had me drenched in sweat, a bit like Singapore. Most of the staff were attentive and helpful, especially with our one-year-old, and the breakfast team looked after us well. The one exception was the woman who checked us in. She seemed determined not to smile, acknowledge us, or make eye contact. Even so, I'd be happy to stay here again when visiting Matsue.

Breakfast had a good selection, and the room was fairly small, much like one in Tokyo. The hotel's name on the building doesn't include "Matsue," which can be confusing.

A microwave was the one thing I missed. That was pretty common at hotels I stayed in around Japan, though. The room here was surprisingly large for the price, the hotel looked lovely, and the staff were friendly. It's probably the best-located place in the city. Breakfast is available on site, but I don't think I saw a booking option that included it.

At Matsue Excel Hotel, Okamoto at reception was so helpful when I realized I'd left some belongings in Kurashiki. She quickly sorted things out and put me at ease. Many thanks to her.