Hamamatsu is an excellent, if under-rated, gem of a city to visit in Japan. While less popular than the usual tourist hotspots such as Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka, Hamamatsu certainly does not pale in comparison to any of these locations.
The city itself is home to the biggest names in the Japanese musical instrument industry, including Yamaha, Kawai, Roland and Suzuki. All of them have headquarters in Hamamatsu, and some offer factory tours on request. The city itself pays homage to these companies with the Hamamatsu Musical Instrument Museum. Hamamatsu is also home to Lake Hamanako, an amazing beautiful salt water lake around which popular sites such as Kanzanji Temple, the Kanzanji Ropeway and the Hamamatsu Municipal Zoo are found. I left the city wishing I had more time to spend here, and I compel you to consider Hamamatsu, in Shizuoka, the next time you visit Japan.
If you decide to make a date with this beautiful city, then the Grand Hotel Hamamatsu, part of the HMI Hotel Group and not too far from its sister hotel Crown Palais Hamamatsu, is an excellent choice of accommodation to complete your perfect experience in Hamamatsu. In fact, Grand Hotel Hamamatsu is in itself a destination, and you might find yourself forgetting to leave the hotel while you explore its rich history and amazing facilities.
Grand Hotel Hamamatsu prides itself in its long tradition and storied guest list. Significantly, the hotel once even played host to the Japanese Showa Emperor. Japanese royalty is famously protective of their privacy, so to have been selected for this prestige speaks volumes about the quality of a stay at Grand Hotel Hamamatsu. Most recently, the hotel hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his first visit to Japan in 2013.
While you may not necessarily bump into such distinguished guests on your own stay at Grand Hotel Hamamatsu, you can most certainly enjoy the numerous amenities and facilities that have made the hotel a popular choice with these dignitaries.
Restaurants
Grand Hotel Hamamatsu offers four very different restaurants on its premises, each with its own specialized cuisine:
Rochester
The main hotel restaurant was newly re-opened just April this year, offering buffet dining all day long. You can enjoy a wide range of French and Japanese cuisine here in Rochester while enjoying amazing skyline views from the 12th floor.
Tsumorin
Located on the basement floor, Tsumorin is Grand Hotel Hamamatsu’s famous Chinese diner. The restaurant serves authentic fare from all over China, and is particularly popular for its lobster and crab courses.
Inanba
Focusing on traditional Japanese-styled cooking, Inanba is a teppanyaki and shabu-shabu restaurant serving top quality Japanese wagyu beef. The restaurant is annexed to the outside of the hotel, in an authentic traditional building moved from its original site in Nagano here to Hamamatsu.
Chotokan
If you’re looking for a ryokan dining experience just for one night, look no further. Chotokan features several traditional Japanese tatami-matted dining rooms, and even has a beautiful Japanese garden (complete with waterfall) to match. The huge Japanese banquet hall is often used by major Japanese companies when they host their guests or annual getaways.
Wedding Events
Grand Hotel Hamamatsu is uniquely qualified for the hosting of wedding events. The hotel has partnered with well-known wedding boutique Laveen Rose (3F), who operate from within the hotel premises for the convenience and assurance of the wedding couple.
For wedding ceremonies, Grand Hotel Hamamatsu offers a traditional Shinto wedding shrine and two wedding chapels, one of them stunningly beautiful all-white atrium set right in the heart of the spacious hotel lobby (2F).
The Otori (2F), a large, stately banquet hall that can accommodate up to 1,500 guests is the natural choice for large wedding banquets; alternatively the newly opened Grandi Bridal Lounge (12F) is perfect for small cozy receptions, with stunning views over the city of Hamamatsu. Traditional Japanese receptions can also be held in the adjoining Chotokan.
Rooms
As with all other major hotels, Grand Hotel Hamamatsu offers single, double, twin and suite rooms. On top of those, the hotel offers triple rooms, Japanese-style rooms and hybrid Japanese & Western rooms. All the rooms are luxuriously and meticulously maintained, and come with an extensive range of amenities for your convenience. I have no qualms in guaranteeing you the perfect restful night whichever room you so choose to stay in.
Grand Hotel Hamamatsu is a 15-minute walk from JR Hamamatsu Station on the Tokaido Shinkansen line. Alternatively, it is a 10-minute bus ride on the local bus No. 20, or a 5-minute taxi drive from the same station.
The hotel does offer shuttle services to and from JR Hamamatsu station. Note however, that buses to Grand Hotel Hamamatsu only depart on the hour for 3 hours at 4pm, 5pm and 6pm (and finally 6:30pm), while buses from the hotel depart in the morning at 7am, 8am and 9am.
