Hotel Active! Hiroshima
by the TopOfHotel team
Hotel Active is the one design business hotel here that pours free wine, cocktails, and snacks every evening from 17:00 to 19:00 — plus free breakfast.
Hotel Active is the one design business hotel here that pours free wine, cocktails, and snacks every evening from 17:00 to 19:00 — plus free breakfast.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Hotel Active! Hiroshima is a 10-floor black-and-gold tower in the central Ginzan-cho district, and the thing you rarely find in a business hotel under about $70 is its free wine and cocktail hour every evening. The 14 sqm single on the 7th floor is the smallest room here: a 100 cm single bed, a small desk, a fridge, an LED TV, and a coffee maker, with a unit bath, a Toto Washlet, and a rain shower. The look is minimal-Japanese — pale wood, white curtains, good-quality linens — and the room is dead quiet. In-room drinks (water, tea, coffee) are free. Traveling as a pair? Ask for the 18 sqm Double or the 24 sqm Twin for about $14-29 more a night.
Food and amenities
The heart of the place is the free-flow wine and cocktail hour, every evening 17:00-19:00 at the Lobby Bar, open to every guest with no exceptions. You get red and white wine, local sake from Saijo, a signature cocktail (a Lemon Mojito done Hiroshima-style), bread and cheese, and fresh fruit. Guests typically work through 3 glasses of wine plus 2 pours of local sake, all free — where the nearby Mitsui Garden offers only sake tasting samples, Active simply lets you keep drinking. Soft jazz and a small fireplace set the tone. Breakfast is a free buffet 6:30-9:30 at Restaurant Active on the 1st floor: Continental and Japanese, with a well-known homemade pudding in mango and vanilla, croissants, fresh bread, Hiroshima okonomiyaki sticks, anago rice, vegetables, fruit, and coffee — a clear step up on chain hotels thanks to those original dishes.
Location and getting there
From JR Hiroshima Station, ride Hiroden tram line 1 about 8 minutes (¥220), get off at Ebisucho, and walk another 150 m; or just walk the 1.5 km in roughly 15 minutes. From the hotel, the Ebisucho tram stop is a 3-minute walk. Peace Park is a 15-minute walk (1.2 km) or a 6-minute tram for ¥220, and the Hondori shopping arcade is just 4 minutes on foot — a genuinely central spot for the price.
Things to know before booking
The trade-off is space: the 14 sqm standard single is the smallest room on this list, fine for one but tight for two, so couples should pay the $14-29 upgrade for a Double or Twin. The hotel sits 1.5 km from JR Hiroshima Station, so factor in the tram or a 15-minute walk rather than a step out the door. And with only 100 rooms and a free-drinks reputation that's gotten around, it books out fast — reserve about two weeks ahead.
Our take
Hotel Active! Hiroshima is the odd one out on this list, in the best way — free wine, cocktails, and snacks every evening, free breakfast, chic design touches, and rates from about $60, all for a score of 8.9/10 across 6 Trip.com reviews. It opened in 2009, and it's the easiest pick here for solo travelers, backpackers, and budget-minded couples who want a hint of high-end service at a business-hotel rate. If an evening glass of wine is your thing, nothing else here comes close on value.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- Free-flow wine, cocktails, snacks, and fresh fruit every evening from 17:00 to 19:00 at the Lobby Bar, open to every guest — a perk you almost never see at this price.
- Free buffet breakfast 6:30-9:30 at Restaurant Active, with fresh bread, croissants, a well-known homemade pudding in mango and vanilla, and Hiroshima okonomiyaki sticks.
- Proper design hotel for the money — chic decor, a fireplace and modern chairs in the lobby, fresh flowers, and minimal-Japanese rooms in pale wood.
- Free in-room drinks (water, tea, coffee) plus a Toto Washlet and a rain shower in every bathroom.
- Rates from about $60 a night, which is strong value for a design hotel that also hands you unlimited evening drinks.
- Standard single rooms are just 14 sqm — the smallest on this list — with a 100 cm single bed and a small desk. Couples should book a Double (18 sqm) or Twin (24 sqm) for about $14-29 more a night.
- It sits 1.5 km from JR Hiroshima Station, so you'll ride the tram or walk roughly 15 minutes; it's an 8-minute tram on Hiroden line 1 to Ebisucho for ¥220.
- With only 100 rooms and a free-drinks reputation that has gotten around, it fills up fast — book ahead.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Hiroshima
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Insider Tips
- Show up to the Lobby Bar between 17:00 and 19:00 for the free wine and cocktail hour — local Saijo sake, red and white wine, and a signature Lemon Mojito done Hiroshima-style.
- Don't skip the free breakfast (6:30-9:30) — the homemade pudding, croissants, and Hiroshima okonomiyaki are the reasons regulars rate it over chain-hotel spreads.
- The Ebisucho tram stop is a 3-minute walk: it's 6 minutes to Peace Park (¥220) and 4 minutes on foot to the Hondori arcade.
- Book about two weeks out — the 100 rooms sell quickly because word of the free-flow drinks has spread.