There are plenty of things to do in the downtown area of Kokura in Kitakyushu. At the northern tip of Kyushu and link to the Honshu mainland, the city is the island’s second largest with over a million inhabitants and home to recreation, shopping, gourmet restaurants, and historical sites such as Kokura Castle and the Kokura Castle Japanese Garden. If you’re thinking of staying someplace central, Asano Hotel is reasonably priced and located downtown near the Murasaki River and less than five minutes on foot from JR Kyushu Kokura Station, Kitakyushu’s transportation hub.
Besides the prime location and affordability Asano Hotel offers, the rooms are simple, neat and comfortable. But what I really liked about the hotel was the staff. Everyone working there was genuinely nice. You can tell that the hotel is well managed. I especially recommend having a conversation with the servers at the restaurant when you have your breakfast. They are really outgoing and genuinely interested in listening to stories of foreign countries. You can also ask them about things to do in Kokura and they’ll be more than happy to give you suggestions. The restaurant also offers the modest but pleasing bonus of free coffee and tea.
Asano is a business-grade hotel, which means it offers no-frills, clean accommodation primarily for short-term clients traveling on business. Such hotels are open to anyone of course, and they make for a good choice when looking for a respectable place centrally located and comfortable that doesn’t have a luxury price tag. For reservations, you can choose from six different kinds of rooms starting at 5,800 yen a night. These include single, double, twin, or triple Western style rooms or small or large Japanese style rooms. You can also choose from smoking and non-smoking rooms. The difference between the double and twin is the bed size. You get two queen sized beds in a twin room and one king sized bed in a double room. For any plan you get, it comes with a complimentary all-you-can-eat breakfast served in the restaurant. There’s also a bathhouse and sauna on the eighth floor, and laundry facilities are available for use.
Located less than 15 minutes away on foot from central Kitakyushu attractions, shopping, and transport, as well as a short train ride from the Mojiko Retro area and sites like the Kyushu Railway History Museum, Asano Hotel is a recommended place to stay if you’re visiting Kitakyushu.
