Hotel Cache – Himeji, Hyogo
Located in the bustling city of Himeji, which sits under the watch of the iconic Himeji Castle. Hotel Cache can be found just a 15-minute walk from the main station. There is a bus which runs in the hotel’s direction, which cuts the travel time in half. The location of this hotel is great for those who want to stay in the city and still have access to food, transportation and tourist hot spots. The hotel itself is reasonably priced; however, do note that an additional charge is being added for those travelling during the Sakura season and big holidays like Golden Week. I was fortunate enough to stay just before the additional charge kicked in. Location-wise, I award a 7. It sits just comfortably in walking territory. Being a castle city, the surrounding areas are mainly flat and the roads straight.
For ease of access, the hotel was available on Booking.com and couples.JP, meaning you can rest easily if you plan to stay here and want to book ahead. The hotel was very cheap, and I felt a little suspicious at the time about the price. I paid around 7.5k, which is very good for a hotel so close to the city centre. For those arriving on foot, there are the usual check-in boards, but they are old-style with only one image to judge on. The system itself is a little dated, and the board was discoloured, making it harder to decide if a room was good. I was lucky as I booked via Booking.com and I had better images to judge on, but for those driving, the choice is a tough one. For this, I award a 6 for a total of 13.
The room I got was surprisingly spacious; in fact, it may have been one of the bigger rooms I have stayed in for a while. There was a dining table in the room alongside the big bed and TV. There are tea-making facilities and a big bath. The bath size in the hotel was very nice, and it may have been one of the biggest I have seen. Later in the night, I discovered by accident that the room also had a balcony with a table set and glowing rocks. This was another surprise as the room had been so cheap I wasn’t expecting the extra perks or big room, bath and balcony. The room was clean, but the room was ageing a little. There were repairs on wooden items that were very haphazard. Things were clean, but the room was old. The outside area was a big bonus, but the table and chairs were a little rusty. The decoration in the room was nothing out of the ordinary, but the room amenities certainly made up for this. For comfort and cleanliness, I award a 7, taking the total to 20.
For amenities, I also award a 7 for a score of 27; the room’s big bath was the best feature; there were the usual freebies in the room, but there was no freebie section in the lobby. But they did offer a free drink in a very nice-sized cup, which is refreshing, as many hotels offer a free drink but offer the smallest cups. The hotel offered a free breakfast, which was good; it had more Western options, too.
For food, I award a 6 for a total of 33. The breakfast was good, there was a menu, but I arrived with a bucket of KFC, so the dinner menu was not explored. But for a free breakfast, the food was not bad. I opted for a toasted chicken and cheese sandwich with chips and chicken nuggets.
My overall enjoyment is a 6 for a score of 39. The bath was the best feature, and the price for the room was very reasonable. The space is great, and the location is very nice, but the hotel is feeling its age. With a few upgrades, the hotel would benefit; the room felt a little drafty, and the bed was old. But for the price, if you are in a pinch, this hotel is perfect. The room I chose was not the highest tier, so I cannot speak for the top-rated rooms; perhaps they are more upgraded and modern.
Lastly, rebooking is hard as I have no more plans to stay in Hyogo, but if I do ever find myself in Himeji needing a room to stay, I would most likely rebook and pay for a slightly higher tier to investigate if they are better. So, for this, I award a 5 for a final score of 44/70.
