About 3 minutes north from JR Wakayama Station. If you turn at the corner where Kintetsu Department Store is, you find a brick building. That is the City Inn Wakayama. Inside, the place looks larger than outside, as it is deep to the back. I was guided around by the Manager Nishida. He is a young man of 33 years and very softly spoken. He said their motto was “warm hospitality”.

A big feature of this hotel is the large bath for men in the underground. “Except when we′re cleaning it, it is open 24 hours a day. It is well liked by people who complain about crampy modular tubs. There is also a sauna for you to relax in,” tells Mr. Nishida. It is great to find a business hotel with a large bath like this.
Located downtown, the hotel is perfect for eating out, but they have their own seafood restaurant on the premises, "Kishu". Mr. Nishida explained that, "We are particularly proud of our fresh off-the boat seafood." You can try fish from Wakayama without going too far.
Similarly, breakfasts of coffee and bread are complimentary, while a Japanese breakfast is offered for ¥600.

At the rear of the restaurant, they plan to open soon an internet cafe. You can surf the internet to a cup of coffee, so they say. The sofas are also cozy, so it works for blowing off some steam.
“In the basement, we have karaoke boxes. Many guests sing by themselves. We also have a bar in the hotel and there is a discount for guests staying with us,” Mr. Nishida added.

At the intersection just outside the hotel, there are several quaint shops including “Mendoritei,” which serves the renown “chagayu” (rice porridge made with tea stock) of Kishu for breakfast, and “Kobe Kohikan,” which serves great tasting coffee.
Arochi, one of the more prominent entertainment districts of Wakayama, is just a 10-minute walk away. It′s a straight shot up one street, so you can′t miss it. This might be a good idea for killing free time in the evening.

By the way, the souvenir that Mr. Nishida recommends is “Kumano Kodo Beer”. It is made with rice of yore and has a citrus fragrance. I wonder what it tastes like!