APA Hotel Fukui Katamachi

Planning a trip to Fukui one time, I was trying to find a hotel that met all my needs for comfort, affordability, and proximity to the station. Good luck me! I couldn't find one that ticked every box, so I decided I could be a little further from the station for the sake of a good deal, and plumped for APA.

My single room was compact in a way that's typical for the chain, big enough for one person traveling very light, a little worn around the edges but comfortable enough (the room, not the person). Katamachi is nominally the city's nightlife district, and there are a number of bars and restaurants around, but my room wasn't facing the street, so I wasn't bothered by any noise from outside.

The facilities are also typical of a chain business hotel: fridge and little TV in the room, Wi-Fi throughout, vending machines for soft drinks and alcohol, washing machines and dryers. These latter are in the public bath area, which was the one of the main selling points for me when I was choosing.

Each morning and evening I'd go for my sauna and bath, it was pretty cold when I was visiting, so I enjoyed standing in the chilly air, then heading back into the spacious sauna or lowering myself into the outdoor bath. This was especially a good way to relax and ease my bones after a hard day of traveling or sightseeing or both.

What else? The staff were friendly and efficient, and gave me a typed sheet of information in English. If you're like me and you don't mind walking, you're within reach of some of the city's handful of sights, among them the Fine Arts Museum, the Griffis Museum, and the delightful Yokokan garden.