Hyatt Centric Kanazawa

Rooms and decor

The Centric King runs about $140 a night for 26 sqm, done in mid-century-modern style with natural wood and indigo-grey fabric. The King bed measures 180×200cm with a soft-but-firm Hyatt Grand Bed, and there's a long 140cm desk with full USB-C charging. The 6 sqm grey-marble bathroom has a jacuzzi tub, a rain shower, a Toto Washlet, and Le Labo Bergamot 22 toiletries — standard across Hyatt Centric worldwide. Rooms look out over the Shinkansen rolling into the station, which kids love.

Food and amenities

Dinner is at FIVE Grill & Lounge on the 2nd floor, where the chef cooks with 100% Hokuriku ingredients. The standout is the Noto Beef Tenderloin, 150g for about $45 — tender and sweet — alongside a Kaga Vegetable Salad at roughly $12 built around deep-red, sweet Kaga carrots. Happy Hour runs 17:00 to 19:00 with a small bottle of wine around $7. The breakfast buffet at FIVE costs about $25 and leans into Hokuriku food: jibuni stew (simmered duck and noodles in a Kaga-style bowl), nodoguro sushi (Kanazawa blackthroat seaperch), and Japanese sweets dusted with gold leaf. A 24-hour fitness centre, co-working space and laundry round out the amenities.

Location and getting there

The single best thing about Hyatt Centric is the location right by the station — a 3-minute walk to JR Kanazawa Station through the West Gate (Nishiguchi). It's the newer side of the station, and the Forus mall and its restaurants are 5 minutes on foot. The Hokuriku Shinkansen Kagayaki reaches Kanazawa from Tokyo in about 2 hours 28 minutes. From Nishiguchi, the Kanazawa Loop Bus (about $1.40) loops past Higashi Chaya, Kenroku-en, the 21st Century Museum and the Nagamachi Samurai district. Reviewers suggest catching the Loop in the morning, getting off at Kenroku-en (about 15 minutes), then walking 10 minutes to the 21st Century Museum — a full day in one go.

Things to know before booking

The standard rooms are 26 sqm, small by European standards, though larger than a typical Japanese business hotel. It's also the priciest hotel in the station group, starting around $137 a night versus roughly $80 at the Forza. And while the Nishiguchi side is newer than the Tsuzumi side, it sits 2.5km from the Higashi Chaya district, so the most atmospheric old streets aren't on your doorstep. In-building parking runs about $20 a night.

Our take

Hyatt Centric Kanazawa is the best choice for anyone arriving in the city by Shinkansen — a 3-minute walk from the station, with Hyatt service, modern design threaded with Kaga craft and Kanazawa gold leaf, and a 2020 opening that keeps everything feeling brand new. It holds the highest score in the group, 9.4/10 from 570+ reviews. Rates start around $137 a night, perhaps 30% above the area average, but the location, brand and service earn it. We'd point couples and business travelers here first.