Kishu Railway Katase Enoshima Hotel

Kishu Railway Katase Enoshima Hotel stands in Katasekaigan, the beach district just across the water from Enoshima Island, a two minute walk from Katase-Enoshima Station on the Odakyu line. The Shonan-Enoshima monorail station is about eight minutes away on foot, and Katase Higashihama Beach is only three minutes from the door, so this is the place to stay when you want the sea first and the temples second. The hotel is small and simple, and it is built around family-sized rooms. A Family Quadruple Room sleeps four with two double beds and has a partial sea view, and a Traditional Quadruple Room sleeps four on futons laid out on the floor, which many visitors enjoy as a taste of Japanese style. A Classic Twin Room is smaller, with a double bed and a large twin bed. Rooms have air conditioning and heating, a desk, a wardrobe, a flat-screen television, slippers and bathrobes, and the bathrooms have a bidet toilet and a shower and tub.

The location is the whole point. From the front door you can walk to Katase Higashihama Beach in about three minutes, to Enoshima Aquarium in about nine and to the Enoshima Shrine and Shonankaigan Park in around a quarter of an hour. The Sea Candle observatory on the island is a short walk beyond. In the evening the lanes around the station fill with small restaurants and dessert shops, five of them within a few minutes on foot, so you can eat well without ever needing a taxi.

Getting to Kamakura is easy but takes a little planning. The Enoden railway from Enoshima Station runs through Koshigoe and Shichirigahama to Kamakura, and the monorail and the Odakyu line link you to Fujisawa and Tokyo. For a base that combines Enoshima for sunset with temple days in Kamakura, the position is hard to beat, and it keeps you out of the weekend crush that fills Kamakura Station and Komachi-dori.

It helps to arrive with the right expectations. The building feels more like a small apartment-style hotel than a full-service property. Guests often praise the location, the staff and the generous room size for families, and some mention that the entrance is easy to miss, so look carefully at the directions when you book.

Wifi is free in public areas, and luggage storage at the front desk may carry a fee. There is no parking listed on site, and nearby partner car parks charge a fee and can be a walk away, so a car is more trouble than it is worth on busy beach weekends.

Check-in runs from mid afternoon until early evening, so tell the hotel if you will arrive late, and check-out is before ten in the morning. Pets are not allowed, and some room rates allow free cancellation, so check the terms when you book.

Choose this hotel if you are travelling with children or friends and want a beach and aquarium stay with a short train ride to the Great Buddha and Hase. It also suits couples who want sea air and a quiet morning walk on the sand. It is less suited to travellers who want a lobby, a restaurant or a pool. Book early for the summer beach season and for holiday weekends.