THE CELECTON Matsumoto

We spent four nights here in late December during the busy year-end period, with two rooms. The rooms were small but functional, as you’d expect in a business hotel, though there weren’t any shelves for clothes. Breakfast was simple, much like at other business hotels. There are two coin-operated washers and a separate dryer. Parking costs 1000 yen per day on top of the room rate. The castle and town are both within walking distance.

For a basic business hotel, this was fine and good value. The castle is very close, which worked perfectly for sunrise and sunset photos. The station is farther away, though, and there’s no daytime bus service to the hotel, so I walked 12-15 minutes each way, including with my backpack when catching the train. Restaurants nearby are sparse. I used the Hotto Motto bento takeaway next door, or walked toward the station and castle where there are more places to eat. I’d skip breakfast, even at 700 yen. I went down at 6:30, and the food was already cold, as if it had been sitting out. I wish I’d gone to Matsuya for gyudon instead.

The room was a little small, as is common in Japanese hotels, but the place was clean and well located. There’s a communal bath and a laundromat too. I’d recommend it for a stay of one or two nights.

The staff were very helpful, even if they didn’t seem to understand networks. For some reason, the Wi-Fi showed only two bars in the front lobby but four in the room. The facilities were okay, though the bathroom exhaust fan sounded like an airplane. The hotel is near the Historic Castle, but there isn’t much else around.