Hiroshima No Yado Aioi

Perfect location, Onsen with view. We recommend 100%!

Situated directly across from the Hiroshima A-Dome site, this hotel boasts a superb location near malls and amenities, with friendly staff enhancing the stay. Despite these advantages, several issues detract from the overall experience. The decor is outdated, and the air conditioning struggles with cooling, making it uncomfortable on warmer days. Guests must inconveniently leave room keys at the front desk upon each exit. Moreover, the in-room TV is notably smaller than advertised, and the absence of a breakfast option is a missed opportunity.

First and foremost, the staff were all excellent; very friendly and helpful. The hotel's entrance is very nice with some uniquely Japanese features. You then need to remove and store your shoes in the genkan before entering the lobby. The hotel provides slippers, but just wearing your socks is fine too. The lobby has a nice Japanese garden outside and the check-in process is quick and efficient. There were some complimentary traditional Japanese cookies to enjoy on arrival to our room which were a nice touch, and we had a washitsu (traditional Japanese tatami room) on the 5th floor that was both spacious and very clean with a view of the A-Bomb Dome directly opposite from the hotel. Not exactly a 'nice' view in the traditional sense, but a somber reminder of the cities' history and we took the time to reflect on this while observing the destroyed but still beautiful building. The Peace Park and Museum are literally a 2-5 minute walk from hotel's front door and Okonimiyaki Mura is about a 10-15 minute walk down Hiroshima Hondori Shopping Street. This is highly recommended, as okonimiyaki is Hiroshima's specialty dish and the serving sizes are massive! There is also an excellent second hand luxury goods store (Louis Vuitton, etc.) right next door to Okonomiyaki Mura called Foresight that we also highly recommend as their goods and prices were much better than we saw in Tokyo later in our trip. The hotel laid out our futons to sleep while we were at dinner and we enjoyed heading up to the public bath to shower and then enjoy their large and very clean ofuro style bath. Returning to our room once settled into our futons we had a great nights' sleep and felt very refreshed in the morning. We had a set breakfast with a great selection of different and delicious Japanese foods, including a little hot pan for us to cook some strips of beef and an egg on. Couldn't fault this hotel and will absolutely stay again on my next visit to beautiful Hiroshima!