Himeji 588 (Gahaha) Guest House — Hotel in Himeji

This hostel was relatively easy to find, straight down the busy shopping street. We were able to leave our luggage while we explored the castle and surrounding area. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful and the location was amazing being only a few minutes away from the castle, (which is one of the only things to really see in Himeji) and being easily accessed from the train station.||We were staying in the annex part of the hostel, about 1 min away from the main hostel front. To say it was cosy was abit of an understatement, they had done their best to make the place as cute as possible with little signs and decorations here and there etc but it really felt quite tacky and on a closer inspection the place was actually quite dirty. There was dust and hairs all over the top of the microwave and kettle area and the bed had a damp smell about it.||I can imagine the room feeling very claustrophobic when full, we had one empty bed while we stayed so it wasn't too bad. And it was just unfortunate for us that the other guest who was there snored the whole night, echoing around the whole place keeping us both awake for most of the night, thats no ones fault, I know, just a downfall of staying in a hostel dorm I suppose! ||However, positive things to note about this place are the location, price and nice...

Firstly, the location and hospitality here are very good, so if those are the two most important things to you, don't let my 2/5 review turn you away. The place looked and seemed friendly and inviting and sociable as well.||||As for me, what I was looking for was a cheap place to rest up, and it was barely serviceable. The sleep space was cramped and very uncomfortable, and also too hot (I stayed in August, the AC here was running but it did not seem high enough). You could not fully close the view of outside the small space you had, and the worst part of the whole thing was that it seemed you couldn't turn off the lights! When I arrived I was extremely tired, but by midnight I seemed to be the only one trying to sleep, and when I woke up repeatedly throughout the night I never saw the lights get turned off, and it was in my eyes the whole time I tried to sleep. Overall a very...

My friend and I stayed for one night on shogatsu; we were actually accommodated last minute because our prior lodging ran into unexpected troubles. Despite this, the host was very gracious and helpful. The hostel itself is located conveniently on a shopping street, and it was fairly tranquil during our stay. The interior is clean, both the rooms and the bathroom/shower facilities. Stairs are a bit steep. The kotatsu was very, very comfortable when we there, and the host was super hospitable; she made us some warm adzuki soup on that cold night. There are plenty of food places nearby, and both Himeji castle and the JR station are not far away. If you check out in the morning and still want to explore Himeji, you can also store your luggage there before you leave later. I'd...