KOKO HOTEL Premier Kanazawa Korinbo

Rooms and decor

The Deluxe Twin runs about $70 a night for 25 sqm — 7 sqm bigger than the Forza's and 3 sqm more than the Mitsui Garden's. The look is modern Japanese, warm browns and gold with noto hiba wood paneling. Two 110x200cm twin beds come with Simmons mattresses and four down pillows. The 4 sqm bathroom splits the tub from a separate shower, adds a Toto Washlet, and stocks Japanese Pola toiletries — a real step up from a Forza unit bath. From the 6th floor you look out over Oyama Shrine and Korinbo Park.

Food and amenities

There is no breakfast buffet here. Instead, grab the Onigiri Set for about $5 — two rice balls with vegetables and egg, enough to line your stomach before you head out. The single Japanese restaurant in the building does a Set Dinner at roughly $23 per person with jibuni duck stew, six pieces of sushi and gold-leaf wagashi. The real draw is the ground-floor lounge, open 06:00 to 22:00, pouring free single-origin drip coffee and Kaga green tea with cookies, plus solid Wi-Fi if you need to work.

Location and getting there

The whole point of KOKO Premier is walking Korinbo. Five minutes on foot reaches Oyama Shrine, the shrine to the Maeda clan who founded Kanazawa; its three-storey red wooden Shinmon gate dates to Meiji 1875, was designed by a Dutch craftsman, and carries stained-glass windows rarely seen in a shrine — and entry is free. Eight more minutes brings you to Kenroku-en (about $2) via the Kotoji gate, then 6 minutes to the 21st Century Museum (about $3), with the Nagamachi samurai district (about $4) a further six minutes on. From the station, the Loop Bus costs about $1.50 and takes six minutes to the Korinbo stop, then a two-minute walk.

Things to know before booking

It sits 1.8km from JR Kanazawa Station, so reaching the trains means the Loop Bus (about $1.50) or a taxi (around $10 on the meter) — fine for sightseeing, less so if you are catching an early Shinkansen. There is no onsen here and no pool, and just one restaurant in the building against the four you would get at a chain like the Tokyu. Worth joining KOKO Member first — it is free and unlocks a 10% discount plus a noon late check-out.

Our take

KOKO HOTEL Premier Kanazawa Korinbo is the cheapest central-Kanazawa option in this group at about $71 a night, and it earns its place: a roomy 25 sqm, a clean 2022 renovation, and an address that walks to Oyama Shrine, Kenroku-en, the 21st Century Museum and Nagamachi. The 8.6/10 from 219 reviews backs that up. It is the pick for budget travelers, solo guests, younger couples and backpackers who would rather spend their money on the city than the room.