Toyoko Inn Aomori Ekimae

The best things about this chain hotel are its location and price. Every branch seems to be right by a JR station and bus stop, which is super important in snowy Aomori. Plus, the price is really good. The free breakfast doesn't have a ton of options, but they do have hot rice and miso soup, which is a nice touch.

Traveling with family, I booked a single room for my older child. The standard single room had a very large bed and was spotlessly clean. The breakfast the next morning was delicious. The hotel's location is excellent, and it offers great value for money.

I stayed here for one night to catch a flight. For the past few days, I had been staying at Shin-Aomori Inn, and it was clear that Aomori Inn's facilities were much older than others. They didn't even provide pajamas! I had an allergic reaction that night, and when I went to the front desk in the early morning to request a room change, they moved me to a smoking room (I had originally booked a non-smoking room). This hotel is really terrible and not worth the price. If you can, book another hotel; there are plenty of other options nearby.

The hotel's location is excellent, right across the street from Aomori Station. Unfortunately, there was a lot of snow on the roads, making it difficult to drag my luggage into the hotel. Just one more street over are the Apple Factory and Nebuta House. It's a shame I couldn't visit Hirosaki due to the snow causing train cancellations.

The hotel is a bit old, but the facilities are well-maintained, and it's quite clean. My only issue was figuring out the water situation initially. There's no bottled water provided (which is common in many Japanese business hotels), and the front desk didn't explain where to get water. After searching for a while, I found a water dispenser only on the first floor, and it only offered ice water, so I ended up buying my own. The location is super convenient, directly across from Aomori Station East Exit – just cross the street! It's also very close to A-Factory, and there's a FamilyMart convenience store just 60 meters away. However, the hotel breakfast was really bad – very salty with limited options. I'd recommend just getting something from the convenience store instead.