Okayama, the 'Land of Sunshine' sits between Osaka and Hiroshima on the Sanyo Shinkansen. Most travellers glide straight through without realising what they've missed, namely one of Japan's three great landscape gardens, a brooding black castle and the whitewashed canal town of Kurashiki, all just a ferry hop from Naoshima's contemporary art scene. Hotel Granvia Okayama, run by JR West, is the natural anchor for all of it. Attached to the station by a covered walkway, with nineteen floors of views over city rooftops and distant mountains, it's a large, reliable hotel whose greatest attribute is exactly where it stands.
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Rooms are notably generous by Japanese city hotel standards, which means they are wide enough to actually unpack and still move around freely! Standard rooms are well-maintained and functional, if a touch worn in parts. The Granvia Floor rooms are the sharper option, with lounge access and a cleaner finish. Windows are solidly soundproofed against the adjacent train tracks, and the views across Okayama's rooftops to the mountains beyond are fantastic.
Having breakfast on the 19th floor while bullet trains whizz into the station far below.
Ask about Granvia Floor rooms, which include lounge access and are very handy for quieter evenings and a less frantic start to the morning.
Some rooms are noticeably more dated than others so it's worth specifying a recently renovated one when booking.
Hotel Granvia Okayama can be booked with Timbuktu as part of a tailor-made Japan trip, rather than as a standalone room reservation. Start online, customising one of our recommended Japan trips featuring Hotel Granvia Okayama or get advice and suggestions from one of our Japan specialists who will design the trip around your dates, check availability and handle every booking for you.
Stays at Hotel Granvia Okayama start from around $130, or US$130, per person per night as part of a tailor-made trip. The exact price depends on your travel dates, room type and the shape of the rest of your itinerary. A Timbuktu travel specialist can give you an accurate quote for your dates.
Castles, canals & sushi with a fascinating backstory, all found in the sunniest place in Japan.
