Best Western Hotel Fino Shin-Yokohama

The location was excellent, with convenience stores, eateries, a bus stop, and train station all within walking distance. Our room was small but had good amenities, plus extra complimentary items from reception. We had a wonderful stay, and especially appreciated Sai, who gave precise directions wherever we wanted to go in Yokohama or Tokyo.

The hotel is in a great spot, under a five-minute walk from Shin Yokohama station, with lots of restaurants and combinis just nearby. But check-in left me disturbed by what seemed like possible discrimination. I handed over my Australian passport while two Korean guests were checking in at the other counter. The staff member serving me kept speaking Japanese, while the person at the other counter made a real effort to speak English to the two Korean boys. I can't understand why the staff would speak English to them but not to me. Could it be because I'm tanned and ethnically Asian? I've never experienced such ridiculous discrimination. Please train staff to treat all guests equally, and to know that Australia is an English-speaking country.

Getting around on foot is easy from here. The hotel is a five-minute walk from the Shin Yokohama station bus stop 9, where direct buses from Narita Airport terminals 1, 2, and 3 cost ¥3400. Rico supermarket is across from the hotel and Seto Udon is next door. Lawson, 7-11, Family Mart, pharmacies, grocery stores, coffee shops, Starbucks, and chain restaurants are all within five minutes, many just seconds away. It's a quiet neighborhood in the CBD, with few residential apartments. The Ramen museum is a six-to-seven-minute walk away, with entry at ¥450 per adult and ¥100 for ages 65 and up. There's also a FOODWAY supermarket in B1 of Prince PE PE beside Shin Yokohama station, near McDonald's. The hotel has a breakfast buffet on the second floor from 7-10am daily, for an extra ¥1650 per person. Pay at reception on the first floor the day before. Also on the second floor are the washing machines, smoking room, toilets, and water dispenser. Laundry costs ¥400 for 1kg or ¥500 for 3kg, with detergent added automatically and drying included. I recommend the hotel for the location, friendly staff, and services. One thing they could improve is the toilet design, which seems to collect dirt and needs manual cleaning after use.

The rooms are on the small side, but they're clean and have the usual amenities. The registration service earned my five-star rating. The ladies made check-in quick and did a superb job, they were A+.