Hotel Excel Okayama

Okayama Castle is just a five-minute walk away, and there are several restaurants within five minutes too. The hotel is about a 15-20 minute walk from Okayama Station along the main street, or roughly five minutes by tram for 120 yen. Our room was older, but had enough space to move around and open two suitcases, and the bathroom was a reasonable size. We accidentally booked a smoking room despite not smoking, and the room and the whole floor smelled of smoke.

The room was a little small, though still acceptable, and the price was very reasonable. It’s convenient for business, with a convenience store nearby and a Chinese restaurant downstairs in the basement. The hotel’s service and room were good. Okayama Station is a bit of a distance away, but otherwise I’d recommend staying here for work.

The staff were friendly and tried to help, and the attached restaurant Alo Alo was surprisingly good and affordable. Hotel guests get 10% off, and there’s a coin laundry as well, so it worked well as a reasonably priced base in the area. Our air conditioner was quite loud, which made summer heat harder to deal with, and the fridge wasn’t especially cold. It’s around a 20-minute walk from Okayama Station. If you get the right room, there’s a great view of Okayama Castle.

Breakfast was excellent, and I was too full to try everything. I especially liked that they served some locally grown vegetables. The place has a real 70s feel, right down to the old-fashioned metal key instead of a card. The amenities were adequate, though not especially good. The toilet seat wasn’t heated for winter. If you’re nostalgic for the good old days, this could be the place for you.