First Hotel Kanazawa stands on Hirosaka in downtown Kanazawa, about a one-minute walk from the gate of Kenroku-en Garden. Rooms are offered in standard, superior and executive categories, in double and twin layouts, with private bathrooms that have a separate tub and shower and a bidet. The hotel has a Japanese cafe and restaurant, free WiFi, a 24-hour front desk, laundry and dry cleaning and luggage storage.
Location and getting around
This is one of the few hotels where you can walk to the garden before the tour groups arrive. Kenroku-en Garden is about a one-minute walk, the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art is about three minutes, and Kanazawa Castle and Oyama Shrine are each about nine minutes. Omicho Market is about fifteen minutes on foot, and the Higashi Chaya and Nagamachi districts are a short bus or taxi ride.
Kanazawa Station is about twelve minutes by car or a longer walk, so it is worth using the Kanazawa loop bus on arrival days instead of carrying luggage. Komatsu Airport is about forty-five minutes by car. There is no on-site parking, so this is a hotel for guests travelling by train and bus.
Rooms and facilities
Expect a practical, comfortable, mid-range city hotel. Rooms have air conditioning and heating, free WiFi, a refrigerator, an electric kettle, an in-room safe and a bathroom with a separate tub and shower, and the range runs from standard doubles and twins to superior and executive twins. Public areas include a Japanese cafe and restaurant, an elevator, a vending machine, a front desk safe, laundry and dry cleaning, and wheelchair-accessible features, although limits may apply, so ask before you book.
A Japanese-style breakfast is served each morning for an extra charge. Check-in starts in the afternoon, the minimum check-in age is eighteen, and check-out is before eleven.
Who it suits and what to know: first-time visitors, couples and garden lovers who want to be at Kenroku-en when the gates open, and travellers who plan to see the museums, the castle and the old districts on foot. The trade-offs are the lack of parking and the distance from the station, which matters if you have heavy luggage or an early train.
It is a quiet area at night, with the lively Katamachi and Korinbo streets a short walk away for dinner, and the museum cafes and the park paths make an easy morning after breakfast. Cherry blossom weekends, the autumn colour and winter illumination dates fill early, so book ahead and compare rates with and without breakfast.
Why stay here
- ✓Kenroku-en Garden 1 minute on foot
- ✓21st Century Museum 3 minutes on foot
- ✓Kanazawa Castle 9 minutes on foot
- ✓Japanese cafe and restaurant
- ✓Free WiFi in rooms
- ✓24-hour front desk
- ✓Laundry and dry cleaning
- ✓Luggage storage
Good questions
How far is First Hotel Kanazawa from Kenroku-en?+
About a one-minute walk, so it is easy to be at the garden early.
Does the hotel have parking?+
No, there is no on-site parking, so it suits guests arriving by train and bus.
Is breakfast included?+
A Japanese-style breakfast is available for an extra charge. Compare room-only and breakfast rates when you book.
