Okayama Koraku Hotel

The Koraku Hotel is situated very close to Okayama Station (10 minutes walking distance). There is a bus stop around the corner from which a bus connects you with Uno port and the ferry going to Naoshima. Okayama Castel and Koraku-en Garden are 1.5 km away (20 minutes walking or 3-5 stops with a streetcar/bus). Between Koraku Hotel and Okayama Station are plenty of restaurants within 5 minutes walking distance. Within the hotel there is a convenience store, which is open very early to late hours. The staff was very welcoming and helpful (especially at breakfast service!!). The breakfast had a great variety with western as well as Japanese breakfast options, all very suited to vegetarians and absolutely worth the price. Our hotel room was located in the upper levels. The room matched the descriptions and pictures advertised. There was a relatively small window that could be opened to let in fresh air (very nice and not all Japanese hotels have this). The room was facing a big street. There was some noise of cars that could be heard even with the window closed. The room was quite spacious (one of the biggest we had during our travel). There was even a closset (a rarity in Japan!). The bed was big enough for two people. Unfortunately, the bed was super hard and did not allow to sleep very comfortably (not recommended for people with general back problems). The airconditioning worked well and did not distrub our sleep. The bathroom has a shower/bathtub, washbasin and toilet all in one small room. There is a daily cleaning service which we liked a lot.

This hotel is within walking distance from the station and close to local amenities. The rooms were larger than the average Japanese hotel and very comfortable. It had a laundry room with coin operated machines, which is useful when travelling. Breakfast was also really good with lots of choice. One of our party could not eat dairy or gluten and was helpfully provided with their own meal. We used Okayama as a base for visiting Kurashiki and the local art islands. It also has one of the main gardens of Japan and a castle.

The hotel is located 25 minutes walk from the train station. There are bus and tram stops nearby. Front Desk staff is very polite, speaks English very well. Breakfast is delicious, F&B staff is very polite. The room is clean and quite spacious. There is lighting in the wardrobe, which is very convenient. On each floor opposite the elevator there is a small exhibition of works by local artists. The weather was warm, so I opened the window. The hotel is located next to a quite busy street with many bars and izakayas, so it was a bit noisy late at night. But the bed was very comfortable and the room was cozy, so it didn't stop me from falling asleep and having a good night's sleep. I was very happy to learn that the hotel team is working to reduce environmental pollution, so they participate in recycling some plastic accessories. In today's society, this is an important topic, so I think it is worth making this information more visible to guests. I only learned about this because I decided to read the hotel's manual lying in the table in the room. In the morning I was able to leave my luggage at the front desk for storage and go to see Okayama Castle, a wonderful Kōraku-en, Okayama Prefectural Museum, Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art, and Okayama Orient Museum.

- It locates between the main station and Okayama castle, so it's very easy to access both and lots of shopping, food options. - Staffs were very friendly and helpful. I was doing a bicycle trip for 2 weeks, and they were very kind to keep my bicycle case for the time I rode around. They also allowed me to bring my bicycle to my room when staying. Of course a contact beforehand would be still recommended to let them be able to prepare for your needs. - My room space was well cleaned. I also liked some convenient gadgets, e.g., universal charging wire, they provided in the room

The room had more space than the standard japanese hotel and is near to the main train station for the city, also you have many restaurants options and convenience stores. The location was very convenient for the schedule we had in the city.