98 Best Hotels in Japan

This sleek hotel offers spotless, if cramped, rooms at reasonable rates. There's a comfortable lobby lounge, and from there you have direct access to the train station or the shops and restaurants of the CoCoLo shopping center. Breakfast, served in an adjacent eatery, is good value.

The faux-stone exterior that attempts to replicate 20th-century Europe might seem cheesy, but this hotel is a true Ginza bargain. In keeping with the theme, rooms are outfitted with dark-wood floors, powder-white linens, and curtains tied with tassels, though free in-room internet and heated toilet seats are nice contemporary touches. The Escale restaurant is French, but this European slant isn't just for the hotel guests; the in-house wedding chapel can be busy on weekends and holidays.

This 30-story hotel's exotic lobby is more reminiscent of Singapore than Japan, with tropical plants, cherry-oak slatted doors, and colonial-style furniture. A winding staircase curls around a bubbling pond in the middle of the lobby and leads to a brasserie called Garden House, which serves wonderful coffee and cake. The colorful top-floor lounge, Le Grand Chariot, has panoramic views over Kanazawa, cocktails, and soft piano music. Guest rooms begin at the 17th floor, and the Western-style ones are decorated with creamy pastels and blond-wood furnishings and have striking views of the sea, city, or mountains. An underground passageway connects the hotel to the JR Station.

From the outside, you might think you've booked a drab business hotel, but inside everything is surprisingly smart. Better yet, it's literally next door to the main building at Dogo Onsen, so you couldn't ask for better access to the city's famous hot-spring baths. "Standard doubles" might feel a bit too snug, but the "deluxe twins" are unusually spacious for Japan. The sushi restaurant on the first floor also serves good Japanese breakfast sets.

With its excellent staff, comfortable rooms, and award-winning breakfasts, Hotel Piena is a step above other midrange business hotels in downtown Kobe. Just a short stroll from the fashionable Kitano area, Sannomiya Station, and Shin-Kobe Station, the hotel is a good base for exploring the city and surrounding area. While the rooms are smaller than those of higher end hotels, they are elegant, comfortable, and good for travelers who plan to spend most of the day out sightseeing. The hotel staff are friendly and helpful, happy to give advice about sights in the surrounding area. With its central location, affordable price point, good food, and excellent service, Hotel Piena is one of the best all-around values in the city.

Situated one block north of JR Gifu Station, this conveniently located hotel comes with larger-than-average Western-style rooms. Request an upper floor room facing Gifu Park for an excellent outlook toward Gifu Castle and the Nagara River. 

The main selling point of this functional business hotel is its location right next to the Kushiro train station. As with most business hotels, the rooms are sparse and small but clean. There is a free breakfast, but it can get crowded. The hotel's public bath is gender-separated and is an excellent place to thaw out in winter. 

You couldn't ask for a more convenient in-town lodging than this elegant, nicely furnished hotel. Just north of the Makishi monorail station—where Kokusai Street gets quieter—the nine floors of sturdy accommodations are the perfect place to spend a night on your way through Naha. Standard twin rooms have cozy semi-double beds with rather bland decor; deluxe rooms have opulent bathrooms and big desks.

One of the most affordable hotels near Tokyo Station (a mere three-minute walk away), the Ryumeikan is a great option for business travelers or those making side trips outside the city. Don't be put off by the drab elevator up to the 15th-floor lobby; things are far smarter elsewhere. Guest rooms have cream-colored walls and dark-brown textiles, and bathrooms feature showers outfitted with a special massage function. Small (188 square feet) single rooms are simply designed, with a curved desk and ergonomic office chair. The hotel's restaurant, Hanagoyomi, serves good Japanese dishes. Bicycle rentals are possible.

Smart but affordable, this hotel offers great city access—it's across from the JR Station—and a good range of facilities and amenities. Rooms are simple in design, but doubles are spacious, with queen-size beds, and the corner twins are huge by local standards. The top-floor natural hot-spring bath will soothe and rejuvenate you after a day on your feet.

Located a few minutes from the shops and nightlife of Okaido, the Hotel Vista is a cut above a standard business hotel. While the basic rooms are fairly compact, "moderate twins" and "superior twins" are very spacious by local standards. All rooms feature contemporary (if a little uninspiring) interiors, as does the coworking space, where you can grab free soft drinks. For wheelchair users, there's a "universal twin" available.

Aimed at no-nonsense business travelers, this spartan hotel provides simple, functional rooms, fast Wi-Fi, and fair prices. The hotel is a two-minute walk from Nagasaki Station, across the pedestrian bridge on the narrow road past the FamilyMart convenience store.

Opened next to Kanazawa Station in 2020, the Hyatt Centric delivers stylish rooms and common areas, but with deliberately trimmed back facilities in an attempt to keep fees down. The rooms and suites are all spacious, combining natural tones and natural lighting with the occasional bold motif and modern amenities. There's a chic rooftop bar, plus a café and grill that serves a Western-style buffet breakfast. Unlike some of Kanazawa's older accommodations, the Centric also has an accessible room available. Next door you'll find another new property, Hyatt House, better geared toward longer stays and families.

Owned by a diver–wildlife photographer (iruka means dolphin), this well-kept guesthouse sits by the water in Utoro. Vast fish dinners are served in the bright, modern dining room and on the wooden deck overlooking the Okhotsk Sea. Yamamoto-san speaks some English and is qualified to take guests diving under the ice floes in winter. From the small tatami rooms at dusk, keep an eye out for local foxes that curl up on the hoods of the still-warm cars in the parking lot. As you arrive into town from Abashiri, take the first left after coming out of the tunnel, and the bright-yellow hotel will be the last building on the right (with the dolphin on it) before the road curves to the left. They also have a separate two-bedroom house for rent (June to October only) on the mountain side of town.

On tiny Yokoyama Island, this small inn has painted its name in large letters on the red roof. Ishiyama-so is a two-minute boat ride from Kashikojima; phone the day before and your hosts will meet you at the quay. The inn isn't fancy, but it offers six well-maintained rooms overlooking the sea. You'll find tea sets and yukata (Japanese bathrobes) in both the Japanese- and Western-style rooms, and breakfast and dinner plans are available.

If you're inclined to indulge in Western-style comfort, this hotel next to Takamatsu Station is a good choice. The decor is pleasant if no great shakes—the city views are the selling point at Takamatsu's tallest hotel. The corner rooms on the upper floors have sweeping views of the Inland Sea. The Clement also comes with a reputation for attentive service.

Although this hostel is best known as a backpacker getaway, the modern architecture, smart facilities, multilingual staff, and central location make it a great find, as do the two cheap double rooms with ensuite baths. The rooms are a good value for those who have low budgets but still want perks like free Wi-Fi, plentiful computer terminals, and a lovely courtyard. K's House is located north of Shichijo-dori and west of the Takase River.

This hotel is well-located for those who want to be close to Kawagoe train station—just few minutes away on foot via an elevated walkway—and its numerous shops and restaurants. Although it is a bit far from Ichibangai, Toki no Kane, and other sights, frequent buses plying the area stop at historical attractions. As the lobby isn't at ground level, reaching the modestly sized, minimalist rooms requires taking two different elevators. Breakfast (not included in the rates) is served slightly offsite, but it has some tasty regional offerings such as sweet potato, Musashino udon, and Kawajima cold soup.

This friendly hostel on the main street leading to the shrine's steps offers a mix of dorms and simple singles and twins. Being a budget hostel, the rooms are barely furnished and have wood-chip walls that give an almost unfinished feel, but the beds are comfortable and rooms come with air-conditioning and free Wi-Fi. Staying here also gives access to a laid-back coworking space, a communal lounge, and a shared kitchen.

Across from and named for the city's best-loved landmark, this hotel has great views and provides excellent service. Traditional enough to please anyone, the rooms come in an amazing variety of layouts, all with ornate puffy furnishings in luscious creamy colors. In-room dining is available, but you don't want to miss the romantic restaurant on the 11th floor.

Trendy yet budget-friendly, this hotel on the edge of Ginza seems geared to a younger crowd, with pop-art throughout and guest rooms done in light blues and oranges. Most rooms are compact singles and twins, although some triples and double bedroom rooms are available for families or groups of friends. Then there are the facilities, which (along with the price) make Lyf an option for long stays: a co-working space, chilled-out bar-lounge, shared kitchen, small gym, and a laundromat.

Smiling staff welcome you to this charming small inn with modern, albeit simply decorated, rooms that adjoin the town baths. Join the locals for an evening dip before heading back to your room. While it is on a quiet street, you are nevertheless just a few minutes' walk from the main sights. Tea and coffee are available in the corridor. The optional Japanese breakfast served at the neighboring restaurant is well worth the cost.

A few blocks from the pier, this narrow eight-story hotel caters to the economically minded. You can book anything from a spartan room to a spacious deluxe twin at an affordable price. It's within walking distance of downtown and some of the best nightspots. The bus depot, ferry port, dive shops, and car-rental agencies are within walking distance. There's a discount for booking online.

It's not as over-the-top as its big-city counterparts, but this hotel is endowed with the same crisp service and all the right amenities. Weary travelers will be happy to know it's next to Kumamoto Station—great if you want to drop off your bags and freshen up before heading off to see the sights.

For a layover at Narita Airport, this capsule hotel, located pre-security in Terminal 2, is a good bet—just pick up your slippers and robe at reception, and make your way to your "sleep pod" (basically, a very narrow sleeping space with a small pillow). In addition to overnight stays, there are day-use (from ¥1,500) and shower-only (¥1,000) options

Two minutes from Nagoya Station, Nine Hours is a modern take on the capsule hotel, designed for short stays on a tight budget. Unlike capsule hotels of old, this isn't a dingy, last-resort after being too drunk to make the last train home. Design-wise it's got a hip, minimalist feel, with stark concrete and metallic gray common areas. Each of the clean yet basic "sleeping pods" is just 110cm wide, 110cm tall, and 220cm deep (about 3.5’ x 3.5’ x 6.5’ feet), but there's a top-floor lounge and first-floor café to relax in, as well as lockers for luggage storage and shared showers. There are separate male and female floors. There's a 5% discount with free Nine Hour membership.

Of all the traditional-style guesthouses in Naramachi, this refurbished property is one of the most stylish and authentic. Accommodations are simple but give you an idea of what living in a 100-year old town house would be like, the peaceful atmosphere accentuated by the soft tatami floors, wooden fittings, and a charming inner courtyard. The lattice-fronted building also functions as a café during the day, and staying guests receive a ticket for free use of the neighborhood bathhouse. Bookings are done via the website, so you may need to translate some Japanese to make a reservation.

This slender tower a couple of minutes east of the Senso-ji complex is part of the affordable yet sleek OMO chain created by luxury brand Hoshino Resorts. In keeping with Hoshino's approach to design, rooms feature a contemporary blend of Japanese and Western sensibilities, incorporating light woods and natural tones that make compact spaces feel a little more expansive. Families could opt for the largest room, the Deluxe Quadruple, which is accented by tatami flooring. Beyond the design, what helps elevate the OMO3 above many other hotels in this price range are the little extras—the 24-hour food and drink station, the nightly Rakugo comedy show on the 13th floor, and free morning Asakusa tours with staff.

This fresh, budget option from luxury hotel operator Hoshino Resorts opened in Katamachi in 2022, offering simple, Western-style rooms that are decorated with light woods and pastel accents. The common areas include a chilled-out cafe-lounge and library. Nice extra touches are the on-site cultural experiences, such as a confectionary workshop and a tea-tasting session. It's especially good value on weekdays, as the Saturday rate is (unusually) double other nights.