Kita Hotel

The hotel is just a few minutes’ walk from Morioka Castle Site, the shrine, and the park. There are lots of restaurants nearby, and a konbini across the road. I’d definitely stay again. I paid about $35 for one night in a large single room. It was very clean, modern, and looked recently renovated, with hardly any signs of use. There was plenty of room for my big suitcase and a large desk. The bathroom was standard, the AC/heater worked well, and there was a fridge. The staff were wonderful and, to my surprise, all spoke English well. They helped me park on the property. It cost only 900yen for the night. If the hotel lot is full, there’s a large paid parking lot right at the corner.

I picked this hotel because it was much cheaper than the other options in town. It’s a little way from the station, but there’s a bus that gets you there in under 7 minutes, so that was fine. The building looks old, though the room seemed renovated enough that I didn’t feel like I was staying somewhere old. The rooms still smelled like they used to be smoking rooms. Size-wise, they were about average for business hotels.

The front desk service felt like what you’d get at a 5-star hotel, and the décor is understated in a really lovely way. For breakfast, there are Japanese and Western choices, and both were high quality and beautifully presented. I chose it for the location beside the castle and the rock-splitting cherry tree. They seem to care about every guest and all the details. Hard to see how they manage that at such a budget price.

The rooms were quiet and clean, and I slept really well. Staff were lovely and accommodating, and the price was good for the value. It’s close to the castle ruins and easy to walk around to many of the attractions. A lovely hotel.