Ueda Ekimae Royal Hotel

Being right by the station made it easy to head out on day trips, and Ueda itself is a peaceful, clean town. I found this one of the best hotels I've stayed at in Japan as a solo traveler. One thing to plan around: new guests can't enter before 3 p.m., even just to leave bags. Between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. it's cleaning time, with no check-in staff, and the doors need a room key to open. Once I knew that and worked around it, the stay was a pleasure. My room was clean, comfortable, modern, and well equipped, and larger than rooms I've had in Tokyo. The staff were especially courteous, friendly, and helpful. It's very close to the station. From the pickup area out front, take the first lane on the left, not the larger street farther along. The hotel is about 50 meters down there. The signage can be confusing: the big vertical sign says Royal Hotel in katakana, while much of the English signage says Route Inn. It's part of the Route Inn chain, and I think an English “ROYAL” sign would help. I was sorry to leave.