Enoshima Hotel

Enoshima Hotel stands on the island of Enoshima, a few minutes' walk from Enoshima Shrine, Samuel Cocking Garden and the Sea Candle, which makes it the one place in this guide where you can sleep inside a sight. It is rated as a three-class property and has a spa-style feel, with a sauna, indoor pools and a seasonal outdoor pool. Rooms are non-smoking and include twin rooms of around 236 square feet, some with a partial ocean view. They come with air conditioning and heating, a safe, a refrigerator, a large flat-screen television, an electric kettle with free tea and instant coffee, free toiletries and a toilet with an electronic bidet. The front desk is open around the clock, and there is an elevator and luggage storage.

The appeal is atmosphere and timing. Enoshima is busy by day, with tour groups, school trips and weekend crowds on the shrine lane, but it quietens in the evening when the shops close. Staying on the island lets you walk up to the summit garden for sunset or the shore in the early morning with few other people about, and it removes the pressure to catch the last train. The hotel is also a short walk from the Iwaya caves path on calm days, and the aquarium is around eighteen minutes away on foot.

Getting there is straightforward. The hotel is about a twelve minute walk from Katase-Enoshima Station on the Odakyu line and a little further from the Shonan-Enoshima monorail station, and the Enoden's Enoshima Station is on the mainland side of the bridge. Allow time for the walk across the long bridge with luggage, and use taxis or the station lockers if you have large bags. Check-in is from mid afternoon until midnight, and check-out is at eleven.

Breakfast is not offered as a property amenity, so plan to eat at a cafe on the island or on the way into Kamakura. Parking is unclear, with conflicting information from different sources, so confirm with the hotel if you are driving, and consider leaving the car behind, since the lanes are narrow and busy at weekends. Pets are not allowed, and the property is smoke-free.

Choose this hotel if you want a seaside atmosphere, a sauna and pool after a long day of walking and the option to see Enoshima in quiet hours. It suits couples and families who plan to spend a full day on the island and a day or two exploring Kamakura by the Enoden, which runs from the foot of the bridge.

It is less suitable for travellers who want to be steps from Kamakura Station, since the temples are a train ride away. Book early for summer weekends, fireworks and festival days, when rooms on the island go quickly.