Shirakawa Business Hotel

I was delighted to have breakfast brought right to my room. It was the first time I’d ever had that! The receptionist was lovely, attentive, and always ready to help. The hotel is very close to the train station and the castle, too. The entrance can be tricky to spot, but there’s a clear sign outside pointing the way. I’d happily recommend it.

Coffee is free, and there’s a microwave in the lobby along with a vending machine for instant noodles. The entrance is hard to spot, apparently because the building used to be a newspaper store. The rooms feel older than the Heisei era, and the underground parking is on a steep slope, so I’d use the aboveground lot.

The room was clean and comfortable despite the old-looking exterior, and the hotel is right beside Shirakawa Station in the old town. Hotels near Shin-Shirakawa Station are plentiful, so finding one by Shirakawa Station is unusual. I could hear conversations from the next room quite clearly through what seemed like thin walls. There wasn’t a razor in the room, and the front desk said one would cost an extra 30 yen. I feel they could add about 100 yen to the room rate and include it, since male guests would normally use one. There’s a temple across from the hotel, where I came across an interesting tomb of Shozo Ohara.

For this area, the price seemed reasonable. I paid ¥5,400 for a single room on Rakuten. It’s a Showa-era business hotel near Shirakawa Station, with old but clean facilities. Breakfast is included for ¥200 and is brought to the room, with a choice of 7:00 or 7:30 AM. The room has a refrigerator and kettle, while the shared area has a vending machine and microwave. There’s no washing machine. Parking includes three underground spaces and two outside, in front of the newspaper store, plus room for large vehicles 45 meters away. The bathroom is mounted. The toothbrush has paste already on the brush. There’s no air conditioning, just an old-fashioned system that switches between heating and cooling by season.