Himeji Ekimae Universal Hotel minamiguchi

Very close to Himeji station and is a straightforward walk to the castle. Large, busy business hotel. Receptionist at check-in had great English and was very informative. Dated room, poorly insulated for sound and temperature, but with a comfortable bed, a fridge, a kettle and an air-conditioning unit that could heat the room. I was in room 1501, which overlooks the station and would be wonderful for trainspotters (a little noisy for everyone else). The hotel offers a basic canteen-style breakfast and dinner, which made it good value for money. It also offers separate male and female bath/sauna areas, but I didn't try this.

Great value hotel with breakfast and dinner included. Everything was clean and it‘s a 1 minute walk away from the train station. The Himeji castle is only a 1,6km walk away and you can easily get a bus to Mt Shosha from the train station bus stop. You can choose your dinner from two options and breakfast is buffet style.