Hiroshima
Where To Stay

add to Travel Bag (NEW)  

As Hiroshima is not a particularly expansive city, most of the hotels are located in reasonably close proximity to each other. That means the urban scenery is quite similar no matter where you choose to stay, but you will find the hotels themselves may vary quite dramatically in architecture, style of rooms, facilities and more.

At the very top of the line is the Hiroshima Prince Hotel. There are a handful of very fine hotels in the city, but this one is something special. Its serene waterside location on a small island in the harbor provides guests with the sights and sounds of the surrounding marina, as well as easy access to cruises. The rooms are spacious and comfortable with expansive views. The hotel's facilities are nothing short of excellent, with a pool, amusement hall, free parking for hundreds, recommended restaurants and much more. It simply surpasses all others.

Perhaps the closest rival to the Prince is the Rihga Royal Hotel Hiroshima, a larger, comparably luxurious hotel located in the middle of the city. With an astounding 35 floors (enormous for Hiroshima), the views can hardly be described as less romantic, and its convenient location may make it more desirable for many. The inner-city sights of Hiroshima are all within walking distance or a quick tram ride. As the bus center is right next door, access to destinations outside the city is also greatly simplified. The facilities here are top-notch, too, including a fitness center, pool and sauna; eight restaurants, a bar and a lounge; and perhaps its most famous characteristic and draw, a huge conference and banquet capacity. The limit to guests at your wedding or party does not stop at a thousand here!

Moving slightly down in scale from these two, you have the ANA Hotel Hiroshima. Recall the service you receive on Japanese airlines? That is the same kind of treatment you get here, and as it is an "international" hotel, the staff members can speak English quite well. You also get very spacious rooms-especially the singles-for the price you pay. Now add to this fine facilities-a sauna, fitness center, pool, restaurants, Internet connections, restaurants and more-and you may have the "best buy" in Hiroshima for accommodations.

Highly respected tourist hotels abound in Hiroshima. In the Hotel Grandvia Hiroshima, rooms are spacious and attractive, and you need not leave the hotel for entertainment; besides nine restaurants, a bar and a lounge, there are also karaoke rooms. The Kokusai Hotel is a rather famous hotel in the middle of the city-famous in part because you cannot miss it. The rotating sky lounge on its roof provides a romantic venue for dining and the facilities are first-rate, making it an extremely popular place for weddings and parties. Washington Hotel Plaza is another enormous city hotel with splendid views from the upper floors (and they go up to 23). Rooms here are sufficiently large, but the main draw is its location on "Peace Boulevard," only a minute's walk from more entertainment than you can probably handle. The Mitsui Garden Hotel is comparable in terms of price, size and location. One notable difference is that it has a room designed specifically for wheelchair guests. Hotel Sun Route Hiroshima, the last of this upper-end group, is actually a business hotel. But the size of its rooms and convenience to Peace Park and other tourist attractions make it perfectly suitable for leisure travelers.

Business travelers, of course, will find a nice array of accommodations in the city. One highly recommended choice is the generically named Hiroshima Business Hotel. Guests can relax in the huge open baths, while there is even a private "family bath" as well. Hotel 28 Hiroshima is another with both baths and a sauna. And the price here is great, too. But if business is your sole purpose in coming to Hiroshima, and you rely on Internet access, then you may want to take extra heed of the following business hotels, all of which provide some sort of online connectivity: Hotel Kawashima, Hotel Sun Palace, Kikkawa Hotel Flex and Hokke Club Hiroshima, in addition to the previously noted Hotel Sun Route Hiroshima.

Rooms in Hiroshima can be scarce during peak travel and holiday periods, so advance reservations are recommended. However, for those who prefer to wait until arrival to make bookings, the information center at Hiroshima Station can assist in locating accommodations and actually make reservations for you. The staff there also provides additional pertinent information regarding the city and can help arrange your onward travel plans.