Washington R&B Hotel Morioka-Ekimae

The location worked well, with the station and restaurants nearby. The room was tiny, though, and the bathroom felt old. Its plastic had yellowed, the ventilation wasn't effective, and it often felt damp.

For a one-night stop, it was a good place to sleep: clean and comfortable, with a bed, toilet, and shower. The rooms are small and pretty bare-bones. Morioka station is under five minutes away. I wouldn't choose it as a base for sightseeing, though.

The hotel has an environmental program, which I thought was nice, though I can't say how genuine or useful it really is. I wasn't keen on the lack of a kettle or tea in the room, and breakfast offered only coffee or orange juice. Otherwise, it's just an ordinary hotel.

Getting to Morioka station is easy, but the main shopping area is quite a way off. The room was small, with a desk that pulled out from the TV bench and just a low stool to sit on. It's a clean, pleasant basic business hotel, though breakfast was very basic too, below what I've had at many other business hotels in Japan.