Planning a visit to Mito one spring, I had to choose from its abundance of hotels; the main decision was whether I wanted to be near the station, or near the town's main draw, the cherished traditional garden Kairaku-en. I settled on being near the station, and on the ever-reliable, ever-affordable APA chain.
This hotel is typical of the chain; the lobby is blingy, with a sparkly chandelier and free coffee, and there's modern design throughout, from the bright orange of the comfortable couches in the lobby to the sleek monochrome of the guest rooms. There are vending machines for beer and soft drinks, a laundry room, microwave and ice machine,
My single room was as compact as I'd expected, but big enough for a solo visitor traveling very light. I had the usual desk and fridge and TV, decent Wi-Fi (or a LAN cable if needed) and also a nice view of the neighbouring river, though other rooms face in different directions. I was just on the fourth floor, but there was next to no noise from outside, so I could sleep well and comfortably.
