Hotel Bright Inn Morioka

I had a really happy two days here as a bicycle traveler from China, and I’d recommend the hotel to my friends. The facilities are a little old, but they’re looked after well. The staff were especially helpful and professional. Front desk manager Mr. Katsuyuki Fukushi found somewhere I could store my bicycle, then tracked down my gloves after I left them in the dryer. The next day I lost my room card while out, and he kindly waived the replacement charge I offered to pay. He even saw me off with a smile.

Clean, good place to stay after a night out drinking.

The rooms are larger than those at the established hotels near the station, and both the room and breakfast were reasonably priced. There’s even a radio station studio inside, which is unusual for a hotel. It’s a handy base if you’re shopping or sightseeing around Nakanobashi-dori rather than near the station or on the main street. The hotel’s own parking has tight height limits, but there’s a partner lot just behind it, and in Morioka it costs under 1,000 yen.

I’ve stayed here several times for events, and the 11 AM checkout makes things easy. In the morning I like walking along the shopping street, and the hotel is handy for events and concerts near the castle. If you have a larger car, you can use the ground-level lot next door instead of the multi-storey garage, with a 22-hour free parking voucher. For breakfast I usually pick up bread from Michel's in the shopping street.