hello again,
has anyone stayed at the Kanazawa New Grand Hotel?
Or can you help with hotel recommendations in that city
We'd like a hotel that is located near tourist attractions?
thank you very much

I stayed at the Kanazawa Excel Hotel Tokyu and liked it a lot. Absolutely perfect location -- could walk to almost everything. Hotel itself was very nice. Larger than normal rooms and outstanding service.

New Grand Hotel was the first western hotel in Kanazawa. I've not been in the rooms, but have had coffee/cake there a few times. It looks its age in decor, but staff is very nice and helpful.

From the Japanese website, rooms below deluxe level are very small. Twins are 24m2, but deluxe twins are 44m2. 24m2 is quite tiny. They have another deluxe twin that is 38m2 and looks unrenovated on the website at least. It's Japanese, but you can look at the pictures and see rooms here. http://www.new-grand.co.jp/stay/ng_index.html I would not stay in a room other than renovated deluxe or better. Through June they have the 44m2 deluxe room on room only tax/service included for ¥20,000/room.

Location is fine...a few minutes walk from the Excel Tokyo towards Omicho Market. It's set down off the main road just a little. The area is very quiet at night...really banks and investment offices nearby, only a few restaurants right in the vicinity, but not far to walk to the Kohrimbo and Katamachi areas.

The Tokyu Excel is in a great location. This hotel too suffers from some rooms being renovated and some not, as well as lower level rooms being very small. ¥26,200/night gets you a 32m2 room breakfast/tax/service included.

Prices I quoted for both hotels are for random date checks in May, and via Japanese language website, which offer cheaper rates than English language websites. It has been my experience that booking sites like asiarooms are more expensive than direct booking.

Glorialf and KimJapan
thank you for your information about the hotels in Kanazawa. I will try and book the Tokyu for our stay.
Do you know if it is difficult to get from Takayama to Kanazawa? How long does the trip take? Is it by bus or train?
thank you again for your wonderful information.

Train and bus are both options for Takayama to Kanazawa. Train includes one change at Toyama, and takes between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 hours, depending on your connection time. But is via Shirakawa-go, and if you take the morning bus from Takayama, get off in S-go and have a look around, then get on the afternoon bus to Kanazawa, it makes for a nice day. Total trip by bus about 3 hours.

I took the train and it was fine and pretty. However, I should say that Takayama is the one place in Japan I found disappointing. I MUCH prefer Kanazawa and wish I had spent more time there and either eliminated or reduced my time in Takayama (1 day is absolutely all you need there).

I disagree with glorialf on Takayama. I thought the town was quite charming--on a smaller scale than Kanazawa but I spent 2 days and would have felt rushed had I had only 1 day. You need to walk outside of (acknowledgedly touristy) main street, visit some of authentic houses, have sake tasting. If you have an extra time and like art deco/nouveau glasswork, Takayama museum is excellent destination as well.