APA Hotel Hiroshima-Ekimae Ohashi (Review)

With its convenient and affordable hotels, the "APA Hotels" brand is popular among tourists on a budget traveling in Japan. Its approximately 800 facilities throughout the archipelago are easy to find and often located near train 🚅 stations exits, being the poster child of the Japanese style business hotels, simple and efficient.

The APA Hotel 🏨 Hiroshima-Ekimae Ohashi is standing on the banks of the Enko river, about 500 meters away from Hiroshima JR station, towards the historical city-center. The Peace Museum and the Castle 🏯 can be reached by tramway from Matoba-cho tram station. The hotel’s parking is also available for people traveling the Chugoku area by rental car 🚙.

Thanks to a total of 727 rooms, the hotel offers vacancies at any time of the year and until the last minute. However, it is important to know that APA hotels are famous for the narrowness of their rooms, which is clearly the case at APA Hotel Hiroshima-Ekimae Ohashi: the room superficies are 11m², 15m² or 18m² whether traveling alone (Single), in couple (Double or Twin) and up to 3 adults (Triple). Each room is equipped with:

• Air-conditioning (although heating or cooling periods are decided by the hotel);
• A Wi-Fi Internet connection;
• A desk with a small electric kettle;
• A large flat-screen TV;
• A private and compact bathroom 🛁 with toilets 🚽.

Note there is no closet or wardrobe to put away your belongings. Regardless it is best to keep the suitcase stored away in a corner of the room and only open it on the bed to take a change of clothes. A 32m² superficie suite, with a lounge area and a dining room is also available for reservation.

Standard hotel with shared hot baths

Overall the hotel is well-maintained, quite clean, with comfortable bedding. With an eco-friendly approach in mind, the room is only cleaned every 3 days in case of a stay of several consecutive days. In complement to its convenient location and its competitive price, the hotel’s public baths are its true asset and we highly recommend trying it as it is freely accessible to the hotel’s guests.

In the same way as the traditional hot spring 🌸 baths in Japan, men and women have their own dedicated "spa" areas with several shared baths to relax. Don’t forget to bring 1 or 2 towels from your room for drying and getting dressed after the bath.

As for food, a varied breakfast buffet is served every morning at the restaurant "La Véranda". It will satisfy guests with a hearty appetite who need a real meal before going on to their day of visits. Otherwise, the Lawson konbini located at the entrance of the APA Hotel Hiroshima-Ekimae Ohashi can provide snacks (onigiri 🍙, bento 🍱, dessert of the season, etc.) and drinks to take away.

Lastly, check-in and check out operations are done through automated machines, but there is still members of the staff available if needed. The rooms’ TV also displays the occupancy rate of the laundry and the public baths in real time, providing a useful information making the hotel even more convenient.