The Share Hotels Hatchi Kanazawa

Most of us are past the hostel stage of our traveling lives. But reserve your judgment for a moment. The Share Hotels Hatchi offers both shared and private rooms, but it’s not like the rowdy hostels you stayed in that one summer when you had a Eurailpass. This is Japan, after all. And not the touristy epicenter of it, but Kanazawa, the elegant capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, a four-hour train ride northwest of Tokyo. (If you’d guess that a small hotel here, yes, even one with shared rooms, would be futuristic yet adorable, you’re right.)

That’s not even to mention the fact that the hostel concept has always been a smart one. Why else have so many hip new hotels from New York to Paris borrowed the idea of open layouts, communal kitchens, and central lounge space for guests to socialize or write a few e-mails over coffee and cocktails? That’s exactly what you’ll find at the Share Hotels Hatchi. Peer through the floor-to-ceiling glass panes at the hotel’s entrance and you’ll see baristas preparing flat whites, travelers poring over minimalist Japanese guidebooks or drinking sake under the glow of flattering lighting at the wood-paneled bar. The look mixes industrial chic with traditional Japanese details: plenty of smooth cement and wood, locally crafted modern cabinetry lined with traditional ceramics and exotic-looking Japanese candy.

Guest rooms are small, cleverly designed to optimize the limited space. A standard room features a bed lofted high above a sofa, accessible by a wooden ladder, the layout similar to what you’d find in a sleeper train compartment. Or splash out on a private room with its own private terrace and en suite bathroom.

Text Courtesy of Tablet Hotels