A Stay at Soki Kanazawa – Kanazawa, Japan

January 2025

A Stay at Soki Kanazawa – Kanazawa, Japan

Since we booked this trip relatively ‘last minute’ when it comes to Japan planning and we were traveling to a destination that is not as tourist centric, we booked hotels for this trip as the Airbnb market was practically non-existent. Because there are so many hotels, I tried to keep my search simple by focusing on location, reviews, and price then I booked everything on Booking.com. For Kanazawa, I wanted to be close to the train station and close to the center of the city. I found Soki Kanazawa that seemed to fit those criteria, was well rated on multiple platforms, and at a very affordable price at just over $100 a night during our off-season traveling.

The Property 

Soki Kanazawa is located a fifteen minutes walk from the train station and is right next to the Omicho Market so it is in a great spot for exploring. The name of the hotel breaks down to ‘SO’ meaning “bare”, “simplicity” and “plain”, and ‘KI’ meaning “vessel”. The spaces were all very modern and clean. Self check-in kiosks but the staff were more than happy to assist. In fact, I give the staff an extra shout out for being so awesome. There was one night we could not find a single restaurant open for dinner – this was a bit of a saga on this trip – and one of the staff members sat with Kevin calling places to help us get a reservation. And I am not just talking one or two spots – he sat and called several with us. He absolutely did not have to do that – this is not a concierge hotel service – but we were so grateful for him helping us. 

The Rooms

While the rooms are small, they are very functional with the space. Each room features air-conditioned and heating, free WiFi, slippers, and, pajamas. The bed was big and comfortable. I appreciated the large desk area that gave us ample space to put our stuff on. The bathroom was small but there was enough room for one person to get ready. And the shower pressure was fantastic. They provided the most comfortable traditional robes for lounging. Rooms were also very clean and felt updated. My only complaint for our room was the way the bed was set up, it was raised on a platform that wrapped around the whole bed so it was hard to get in and out of the bed easily. You certainly cannot have a lot of luggage in this room but that goes for all of Japan’s accommodations so I do not think that is a issue specific to this hotel. 

The Amenities 

I must not have read enough when I booked but we were so impressed by the amenities at Soki Kanazawa. First, we were provided a mochi sweet upon check in and then daily in our room along with the option for in-room tea. We then learned there was a room that contained full laundry services, a vending machine, water and ice service, and microwave. And finally, there is an onsen, or public bath, here! While not quite like our Ryokan experience where we could book private sessions, having a surprise onsen was very exciting. There were robes to use when visiting the onsen and there is a set bath for females and males separately. And there are showers and bathroom spaces there with premium amenities. Once done in the onsen, there is a full tea bar as well as milk coffee that reviews of the hotel raved about – and Kevin confirmed, it is quite a delicious treat. The hours of the onsen are 5:00am – 10:00am then 3:00pm – 1:00am. We certainly took advantage of the jet lag by taking advantage of the opening hours when no one else was awake.

A note on onsen etiquette:

• The thing that throws most tourists off is that onsens are nude – there are no bathing suits allowed. For this reason, many seek out the private onsen option. Funny enough, during our ryokan stay this meant the public onsens were empty and doubled like a private experience. But know this is very normal so do not pack a bathing suit for this purpose. 
• Before going into the hot spring, you need to rinse off beforehand. There is typically a room before the onsen where this occurs or a dedicated space in the onsen itself where you can shower with soap prior to taking a dip.
• There is a bit of a taboo around tattoos as tattoos were associated with Japanese gangs so it is not uncommon for ryokans to ban those with tattoos from bathing. If you have tattoos and wish to have the onsen experience, check beforehand that they allow for tattoo’ed individuals to bath. 
• Onsens are not “party” atmospheres but a place of tranquility and respect so it is best to refrain from drinking while soaking. Also, the hot springs are HOT so it is not a great combo to be drinking and bathing. 

Dining Options 

Soki Kanazawa offers a traditional Japanese breakfast that can be added for an additional cost or booked in advance with your stay. We opted to not participate in the breakfast as we wanted to try new things each day and the price for one breakfast was a bit much for what we expected the quality to be as the reviews were mixed. There is an onsite restaurant that is very well rated for dinner – Sorasio. It can be booked separately from the hotel and you do not need to be a guest at the hotel to dine here. Unfortunately, during our stay Sorasio was on their winter holiday so we did not have the chance to dine here but the reviews are quite good for this restaurant.

Things to Do

There is plenty to do in Kanazawa! Make sure to have some time to treat yourself to the hotel onsen on your Kanazawa stay while exploring as well.

• Grab a meal at Omicho Market
• Visit the historic Geisha and Samurai districts
• Explore Kanazawa Castle and Kenrokuen Gardens
• Take a day trip to Shirakawa-go and Takayama

Final Thoughts

Overall, we were very impressed with our stay at Soki Kanazawa! It was simple, modern, clean, centrally located, a great value, and just what we were looking for during our stay in Kanazawa. I would highly recommend Soki Kanazawa for accommodations when visiting Kanazawa!

Continue reading all the details of our trip – here!

To see our full itinerary – here!

Read what to expect in Japan – here!

My complete packing list for Japan – here!

See all blog posts for Japan – here!