Best boutique hotels in Yokohama

Yokohama runs along the western shore of Tokyo Bay, and your neighborhood decides where each day starts: on a harbour promenade, on a Shinkansen platform or at a temple gate in Kamakura. The eight areas below run from the glass towers of Minato Mirai through the older port blocks of Nihon-odori and Motomachi, north to the rail hub around Yokohama Station, inland to Shin-Yokohama and south to the seaside shrines of Kamakura. Most of the picks sit in a tight mid-range price band, so the choice depends less on budget than on the pace you want: late dinners in Chinatown, early bullet trains to Kyoto, or morning walks through Yamashita Park before the crowds arrive. Filter by what is within an easy walk of each area. If you want the bay at the door, stay on the waterfront. If you will be catching trains in every direction, sleep beside one of the big stations. If you came for the Great Buddha and the surf, sleep in Kamakura rather than commuting down from the city.

1. 1

   Minato Mirai

   Waterfront redevelopment district between Sakuragicho and Yokohama Station, central Yokohama

   Bay views, wide promenades and late-closing malls in the city's modern harbour quarter.

   At about $124 a night, Hilton Yokohama puts a 9.5-rated room on the harbour edge of Minato Mirai, with the Landmark Tower, the Cosmo World Ferris wheel and the Pacifico Yokohama halls all an easy stroll away. After dark the waterfront glows as the wheel lights up and office crowds drift toward the Red Brick Warehouse along the Kisha-michi promenade. Minatomirai Station and JR Sakuragicho handle transit, and the older Kannai blocks are a short walk away. If you want character, skip the anonymous chain rooms clustered around the convention halls. This district is at its best for travelers who like bay views, open space and malls that stay busy into the evening. On weekday mornings it goes quiet, and the promenade belongs to joggers and commuters.

   1. Mid-Range

      Hilton Yokohama

      9.5/10 rating ~$124/night
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2. 2

   Yokohama City Centre

   Queen's Square and Rinko Park waterfront, Minatomirai Station area, central Yokohama

   A harbour-facing base with a station, supermarket and food halls under the same roof.

   Morning light spills across the Rinko Park lawn and the sail-shaped Pacifico roof outside The Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu, which holds a 9.4 at about $119 a night. Minatomirai Station sits beneath Queen's Square next door, and guests praise its supermarket, shops and food halls as a rainy-day refuge. Cosmo World, the Cup Noodles Museum and the Red Brick Warehouse are within a relaxed walk, and the Minatomirai Line runs direct to Chinatown in one direction and to Yokohama Station in the other. The locals prefer this corner's harbour promenades to the crowded shopping arcades around the main station. It suits families and couples who want the bay in the window and dinner an elevator ride away, though night owls may find the waterfront quiet once the malls close.

   1. Mid-Range

      The Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu

      Everything is good. It’s very near minato mirai subway station and there are plenty of shops, a supermarket and eating places to go to. If the weather is no good there are places to while away time

      9.4/10 rating ~$119/night
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3. 3

   Kamakura

   Yuigahama and Hase seafront, Kamakura, south of Yokohama

   Surf, temple bells and early, quiet evenings by Sagami Bay.

   The Pacific rolls onto the sand near the Kamakura Park Hotel, an 8.9-rated base at about $109 a night that trades the harbour skyline for surf and temple bells. From Hase Station on the Enoden line you can walk to the Great Buddha at Kotoku-in and the hillside gardens of Hase-dera, while Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and the snack stalls of Komachi-dori are a few Enoden stops away toward Kamakura Station. If the temples are the point, don't bother day-tripping from central Yokohama. Sleeping here lets you walk the lanes before the tour buses arrive and after they leave, and the JR Yokosuka Line connects to Yokohama Station for the city half of your trip. Restaurants close early and the evenings are quiet, which suits slow travelers and surfers far better than anyone chasing nightlife.

   1. Mid-Range

      Kamakura Park Hotel

      Very good. I have stayed in many hotels and I like this one. The view is beautiful, the staff is good, and the interior of the hotel is also very beautiful. It is very clean, everything is convenient,

      8.9/10 rating ~$109/night
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4. 4

   Motomachi 2-chome (元町二丁目)

   Between Yamashita Park, Chinatown and the Yamate Bluff, Naka Ward, Yokohama

   Old-port character with Chinatown, Motomachi's boutiques and the Bluff on foot.

   Sea air drifts across Yamashita Park to the front steps of the Hotel New Grand, which holds a 9.5 at about $119 a night. The gates of Chinatown, the boutiques of Motomachi Shopping Street and the steep lanes of the Yamate Bluff, lined with Western-style houses, are all a short walk away. Motomachi-Chukagai Station, at the end of the Minatomirai Line, is minutes from the door, and airport buses to Haneda stop across the road. Skip the restaurants on Chinatown's main drag that hawk all-you-can-eat sets. Locals go for the side alleys and the Motomachi bakeries instead. This is the address for travelers who want old-port character, harbour views and an evening they can walk, with the ocean liner Hikawa Maru moored along the park.

   1. Mid-Range

      Hotel New Grand

      The location is the best exploring Yamashita park and China Town. Also just few minutes walk from the Motomachi/China town station and opposite bus stop to the Haneda airport. It’s a spectacular view

      9.5/10 rating ~$119/night
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5. 5

   Nihon-odori (日本大通)

   Kannai and Nihon-odori historic port district, Naka Ward, Yokohama

   Stone-fronted old-port avenues between Yokohama Stadium and Osanbashi Pier.

   Ginkgo trees line the broad avenue of Nihon-odori, and the Hyatt Regency Yokohama, a 9.4-rated hotel at about $120 a night, sits along it. Yokohama Stadium and Yokohama Park are a short walk inland, while Osanbashi Pier, Zou-no-hana Park and the Red Brick Warehouse face the water. Nihon-odori Station on the Minatomirai Line and JR Kannai Station bracket the district, and Chinatown is an easy walk away. Avoid the set-menu tourist restaurants near the pier; the locals go to the izakaya around Kannai and Bashamichi after a baseball game. Choose this area if you are splitting your time between business and sightseeing, or if you prefer the historic stone buildings of the old port to new glass. Lively on game nights, calm on Sunday mornings.

   1. Mid-Range

      Hyatt Regency Yokohama

      An upscale hotel perfect for both business and leisure, featuring spacious rooms and easy access to the bay area.

      9.4/10 rating ~$120/night
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6. 6

   Sakuragicho 6-chome (桜木町六丁目)

   Beside JR Sakuragicho Station, between Minato Mirai and Noge, Naka Ward, Yokohama

   Waterfront access by day and the Noge bar alleys by night.

   Lanterns glow along the Noge alleys a short walk from The Westin Yokohama, the Sakuragicho 6-chome pick at about $181 a night, which sits well above the $124 asked by Hilton Yokohama across Minato Mirai. You are paying for the brand rather than a better location. JR Sakuragicho Station and the Blue Line subway are close, and the Landmark Tower, the Kisha-michi promenade and the Red Brick Warehouse are all within an easy walk, with the older Kannai blocks lying beyond. After work, the locals head to Noge's tiny standing bars and yakitori counters rather than hotel lounges, which is the best argument for staying on this side of the tracks. It suits travelers who want the waterfront by day and a cheap, loud evening next door.

   1. Mid-Range

      The Westin Yokohama

      ~$181/night
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7. 7

   Shin-yokohama, Yokohama

   Shin-Yokohama Station and Shinkansen hub, Kohoku Ward, northern Yokohama

   A rail-first base where the Shinkansen platform is an elevator ride from bed.

   Hotel Associa Shin-Yokohama (JR-Central Hotels) rates 9.4 and runs about $84 a night, with its front desk inside the Shin-Yokohama Station building. Tokaido Shinkansen trains stop below, alongside the JR Yokohama Line, the Blue Line subway and the newer Tokyu and Sotetsu through-services. The Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum and Yokohama Arena are close on foot, and Nissan Stadium is a longer walk across the Tsurumi River. If your trip is built around trains, skip the harbour-view premium. This is the right base for early bullet trains to Kyoto and Osaka, arena concerts or match days. It beats the waterfront for logistics but loses for evening strolls: the streets are office blocks and chain restaurants, and the bay is a subway ride away.

   1. Mid-Range

      Hotel Associa Shin-Yokohama (JR-Central Hotels)

      This hotel boasts an excellent location. The front desk is conveniently located on the 10th floor of the Shin-Yokohama Station building, with guest rooms on the floors above. This makes it incredibly

      9.4/10 rating ~$84/night
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8. 8

   Yokohama City Centre, Yokohama

   Yokohama Station west exit, Nishi Ward, central Yokohama

   The best-connected bed in the city, wired straight into malls and six rail operators.

   Commuter crowds pour through the west exit of Yokohama Station and directly into the Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel and Towers, which scores a 9.3 at about $194 a night, with Takashimaya, Joinus and the underground malls surrounding the entrance. JR, Keikyu, Tokyu, Sotetsu, the Minatomirai Line and the Blue Line all converge here, which means connections to Tokyo, Hakone and Haneda are hard to beat. A short walk east takes you to the Sky Building, the Bay Quarter mall and the Sea Bass water taxi across the harbour. Don't pay extra for harbour views here. This is a hotel for shoppers, rail-hoppers and anyone with an early start, and the west side runs loud late with izakaya and karaoke, so light sleepers should ask for a high floor.

   1. Mid-Range

      Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel and Towers

      The hotel's location is incredibly convenient! The subway takes you directly into the hotel and the mall, making shopping a breeze. Getting to Yokohama Station is super easy with all the connections.

      9.3/10 rating ~$194/night
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