Shonan Kamakura Crystal Hotel

Shonan Kamakura Crystal Hotel stands in the Minami Fujisawa district, a five minute walk from Fujisawa Station. That is not the old town of Kamakura, and it helps to be clear about that before you book: this is a base on the Shonan coast that puts both Kamakura and Enoshima within a short train ride, rather than a hotel you step out of and into a temple lane. What you get in return is space, a straightforward business-style stay and a calmer, more local neighbourhood of restaurants and shops around the station. The hotel offers eight room types, which is unusually wide for a mid-priced property. They run from a compact single to twins, a double suite and larger suites, with the biggest rooms sleeping three. Every room is a single bedroom with free wired internet, a desk, an in-room safe and a bathroom with a deep soaking tub, so you can warm up after a long day on temple steps and hill paths. Air conditioning and daily housekeeping are standard, and the front desk is staffed around the clock.

Fujisawa Station is the key to the location. It is a major stop on the JR Tokaido line and the Odakyu line, and it is also the starting point of the Enoden railway, the little green train that rattles through the seaside suburbs to Kamakura. From the hotel you can walk to the station in about five minutes, so the Enoden to Kamakura, Hase and the Great Buddha is an easy morning start, and the same line runs the other way to Enoshima.

Enoshima Island, its shrine and the aquarium are within a few miles, which makes the hotel a fair base for a coastal itinerary.

The room choice matters more here than at many hotels. The compact single suits a solo rail traveller. The standard and deluxe twins work for friends or a couple who want a little more floor space, and the suites and the largest triple rooms are the practical answer for a family of three or for anyone who wants to spread out after carrying a bag around Kamakura. Check the bed type for your category when you book, since some rooms have two twin beds and others a queen bed.

There is no restaurant in the building, so plan to eat out. The streets around the station have a good spread of casual places for noodles, grilled dishes, hotpot and cafes, several of them only a minute or two on foot, and that suits a late arrival after a day of sightseeing.

Luggage storage at the front desk helps on departure days, and the staff are used to guests who speak little Japanese. If you drive, self parking is available for a nightly fee, but with Kamakura traffic and car parks at the temples being what they are, the trains are the better plan.

Expect a functional, slightly dated feel rather than a polished boutique style. Guests tend to praise the staff and the location, and some note that the facilities show their age, so it is best treated as a comfortable, fairly priced bed with a good rail connection rather than a destination. Check-in begins in the afternoon and runs until midnight, check-out is before midday, and some room rates allow free cancellation, so check the terms when you book.

Choose this hotel if you want more space and a lower price than the central Kamakura hotels, and you are happy to commute by train. It suits rail travellers, small families and visitors combining Kamakura with Enoshima, and it is less suited to anyone who wants to walk to a shrine or beach from the front door. Book early for weekends and for the autumn leaf and spring blossom seasons.