Shizuoka Kita Washington Hotel Plaza

We noticed a faint cigarette smell that seemed to come from the bathroom, even though our room was marked non-smoking. It was barely noticeable, even for someone sensitive to it, and I’d still happily return. The value is hard to beat. The rooms are spacious and wonderful, the service is warm, and the hotel sits in a lovely part of Shizuoka, a comfortable distance from Shizuoka train station.

The room itself was acceptable, but the front desk showed little initiative in sorting out basic problems. I’ve stayed at other KoKo hotels in different cities and was never refused the chance to have a window opened for airflow, unlike here. For much of my stay, the room was extremely hot with poor airflow. Guests weren’t allowed to open windows themselves for “safety reasons,” so I repeatedly asked staff to open mine, both at the desk and through the booking platform. They stayed polite in their replies, but the issue dragged on for several days. Instead of resolving a simple comfort request, messages kept sending me back to the front desk to arrange a time, and it never got fixed. I also couldn’t get a garbage bag for my room after the first one was changed, so rubbish piled up until checkout. Japan is known for hospitality and attention to guest comfort, but this stay fell short of what travelers usually expect there.

We loved staying here and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Shizuoka. The location is prime, the staff were helpful, and the price was great value. We tried the breakfast buffet and were really happy with it. Every evening they also offer a free rice bowl with condiments and free coffee.

The room and toilet were clean during our two-night stay. There’s no hotel car park, but they offered affiliated parking for 1200 yen overnight. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a multiple access pass. The hotel is on the second floor and can only be reached by escalator.