Shiny new, sparkling service: Review of the Hilton Hiroshima

In March, I made a trip to Japan for Sakura season. It was pretty crazy, given it was the first post-Covid sakura season with tourists allowed into Japan. I planned most elements of the trip well in advance, locking in hotels as far back as July 2022. One element which was booked a little later was the flight in. That left limited redemption options. One quirk of JAL redemption through Alaska Mileage Plan was that occasionally it was not possible to book only SIN-Tokyo (or vice versa), but the married segment logic left open availability on routes to other cities via Tokyo. Thus, I ended deciding on a routing to Hiroshima via Tokyo. The recent Alaska devaluation means JAL is off the table now though, and in any case I’ve previously made clear my gripes with JAL.

I could have chosen any number of other cities within JAL’s domestic network, but I decided on Hiroshima for a couple of reasons: 1) I had been due to travel to Hiroshima in March 2020 before Covid came along, and 2) Hilton had just opened the new Hilton Hiroshima in September 2022. As a Hilton loyalist, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to review this almost brand-new hotel.

I’m glad I decided to take this side trip to Hiroshima. It was nice to visit somewhere other than the usual major cities. Plus, it was a delight staying at the new Hilton Hiroshima. The hotel was nice, the service staff hardworking and helpful, while the Diamond recognition was outstanding. Overall it was one of the best Hiltons I’ve ever stayed at, and I would highly recommend staying there when visiting Hiroshima.

Read on to find out what I liked about the Hilton Hiroshima!

Booking and pre-arrival

I booked this stay in February, about a month before the stay. Because I was still vacillating over whether to dump the domestic leg or go to Hiroshima, I booked the flexible Honors Discount rate. The rate for the lead-in King Deluxe Room was JPY17,100 (SGD167) per night, plus 13% service charge and 10% tax on top of that, for a total of JPY42,511 (SGD415) for two nights. Considering how crazy rates were in the big cities like Tokyo and Osaka during that period, the rate at the Hilton Hiroshima was an absolute steal.

Around 5 days before arrival, the Director of Operations dropped an email, sharing information about the hotel, and some very useful information on transport options to the hotel, and nearby amenities. I thought it was a lovely welcome, and having spent much less effort planning this leg of the trip, the various guides he provided came in very handy. The Hilton Hiroshima experience had gotten off to a great start even before we’d arrived.

Location

If there’s one minor negative about this hotel, it’s the location. It’s not really far from key landmarks and areas such s Hiroshima Station and Hatchobori (main shopping street in Hiroshima), but it’s not exactly near either. The only convenient public transport are buses, with the nearest streetcar stops being in Hatchobori. It’s also not served by the airport bus, with the nearest stops being either Hiroshima Station or Hiroshima Bus Center, both of which are 10-15min cab ride away. The hotel recommends taking the bus to Hiroshima Station, which is what we did.

Hatchobori is a 10min walk away, with Peace Memorial Park a further 10min. In cool, dry weather, it’s a perfectly doable and fine walk. On the day we arrived, it was raining and that made it a tad unpleasant. Weather aside, the location means the surrounds are fairly quiet, while not being too far away from amenities.

Check-in and arrival

We arrived at Hiroshima Airport (HIJ) on a domestic flight from Haneda. From there, it was a roughly 50min bus ride to Hiroshima Station, then a cab ride to the Hilton Hiroshima. The cab ride cost us JPY1,300. While cabs are plentiful are the station, getting a cab from the hotel at departure proved to be a problem. We asked the hotel to call one, but were told it would take 15min. I ended up getting a cab through Uber, which arrived in just a couple of minutes. I absolutely recommend having Uber or one of the local taxi apps handy.

On arrival the hotel, a staff member quickly helped us with our bags. Because I didn’t want to lug my suitcase on the Shinkansen a couple of days later, I had the hotel immediately ship the bag to our next stop, the Conrad Tokyo. I wanted to ship it from Haneda, but the long immigration line meant what should have been a comfortable connection became a rush. In any case, the luggage shipping only cost JYP2,190, which only marginally more than what it cost us to ship our bags from Tokyo to Osaka later on during this trip.

There was a public holiday that week, so the lobby and the hotel in general was quite crowded. There was no wait at check-in though, and pleasingly our room was ready. We had arrived around 12.30pm. Because of the high occupancy though, the hotel could only upgrade us to an Executive room.

The front desk staff handed over a welcome letter which contained information on the various facilities and F&B venues, and a separate letter containing information on the Executive lounge. We were told that due to the high occupancy over the weekend, we would have to make reservations for evening cocktails. This was fine as we managed to get the slot we wanted.

Later in the mid-afternoon during peak check-in hours, I noticed there was a sign separating the check-in queue into a regular queue, and a priority queue for Hilton Honors Diamond and Gold members. I never actually saw the queue reach significant lengths, but it was a nice touch from the hotel.

The room

Our room was located on the 21st floor, one below the Executive lounge which is on the top 22nd floor. Most rooms in the hotel are of similar size, around 35sqm. The exception are the suites and corner rooms. Since we weren’t lucky to get either, our room was pretty much a standard, just on a high floor.

The style of the room was quite different to the Hilton Osaka I stayed at last year. In fact, the whole décor looked like a cross between the Hilton Singapore Orchard and the Conrad Los Angeles, if I had to compare it with previous Hilton properties. I couldn’t quite figure which direction our room faced, but it was a nice mountain view. I’m not the biggest fan of daybeds, particularly in smaller rooms, but thankfully this one didn’t feel like it took up much-needed space.

The bed was fine and we generally slept well. It wasn’t Conrad-level of comfort, but it was comfortable enough for us.

The room wasn’t massively spacious, but with only one large suitcase it was fine for both of us. Thankfully, the hotel had eschewed the modern trend of an exposed rack for wardrobe, sticking to a more traditional wardrobe. The usual items, room safe, ironing board, iron were all here.

The luggage rack is separate and opposite to the wardrobe. Beside the wardrobe there was also a decent amount of floor space for another luggage.

The minibar fridge as neatly hidden away behind a cupboard door. As tends to be the case nowadays, the minibar was empty. I prefer it this way, more room to store my own drinks. There was a Nespresso machine and a Japanese tea set, plus kettle and ice bucket.

Round desks, or rather coffee tables, are the way hotels are going nowadays, and the Hilton Hiroshima was no exception. There was a partially handwritten welcome note signed by the GM, always a nice touch. Near the table were a couple of USB ports and power outlets. However, as tends to be the case at Japanese hotels, the power outlets were Type-A only.

Likewise, the bedside outlet/switch panel had a USB port and Type-A outlet only. There was fold-out reading light too. A minor irritation was that the blinds were manual, it would be good if electric blinds had been installed.

A 55in TV was installed for guests’ viewing pleasure. I don’t think we turned it on once during our stay, so can’t comment on the quality and channel selection.

If I have one criticism of the room, it’s the bathroom. Given the room was only 35sqm and the living space was reasonably spacious, something has to give, and it’s the bathroom. It wasn’t small by any means, after all in typical Japanese fashion there was bathtub and sort-of separate shower. Rather, it was the rather narrow vanity and limited shelf space that I didn’t like. At least the overall bathroom layout was better than the Hilton Osaka. Here the toilet had its own enclosed space, rather being shoved into whatever available space there was. Naturally, it was equipped with a TOTO washlet.

The bathroom amenities were “new” Crabtree & Evelyn in large pump bottles, much like the Hilton Singapore Orchard. There still some items that featured the “old” Crabtree & Evelyn branding i.e. before they closed down and were relaunched.

Overall, the Hilton Hiroshima King Executive Room was a new and comfortable, if unspectacular space. Being a nearly brand new hotel, it’s definitely one of the nicer Hiltons around. It’s not necessarily a room I’d spend time just relaxing in, but it’s a perfectly pleasant place to rest up after a day of sightseeing. Japan is a place where I usually spend pretty much nearly the entire day out of the hotel anyway, even in a smaller town like Hiroshima. Therefore, a good rest is the most important, and the Hilton Hiroshima’s room is up to the task.

Executive lounge

As a Hilton Diamond, I get Executive lounge access as a benefit. The lounge was located on the highest, 22nd floor of the hotel. During our stay, the lounge was open from 6.30am to 9pm. However on most days that period breakfast was not served in the lounge, thus it was only staffed from 2pm onwards. Afternoon tea runs from 2.30pm-4pm, while evening cocktails were from 5pm-7pm. . On our second evening, a Friday, there were two slots of 1h each, with bookings required. We only stopped by the lounge for evening cocktails as we spent our days out and about.

The EL space is quite nice, though the seating was a little cramped. The décor was bright and it seemed a nice place to work or just relax during the day when it’s quiet.

On both evenings of our stay, the Executive lounge was very crowded, mainly with locals who were having holidays. I’ve been to many Executive lounges, but I have never seen a scrum for the food like I saw at the Hilton Hiroshima. Things were more peaceful on the Thursday evening we arrived, but Friday was a different story. When everyone was let into the lounge for their slot, the other guests immediately attacked the buffet. This being Japan, of course things were fairly orderly, but the amount of people queueing was a sight I’d never seen before in an EL.

Naturally, within minutes the food was all gone. To the credit of the hardworking lounge staff, food was replenished pretty quickly whenever things ran out. The staff really worked tirelessly to keep food topped up. It was really hard work too, my fellow guests wiped out anything and everything.

Having seen the scrum for food, I opted to bide my time and headed for the drinks instead, which were totally ignored while everyone queued for food. I was able to happily and peacefully pour myself a glass of wine. The alcohol selection was passable, featuring a Chardonnay, an Italian sparkling brut, a Pinot Noir, an alochol-free sparkling rose and Japanese liquor such as sake and umeshu. The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were from Escale, which rate 3.5 and 3.6 respectively on Vivino. Of course, the usual spirits were available, plus an assortment of soft drinks

For those who prefer a draft beer, there’s a beer dispensing machine as well. Unlike the famous airport lounge ones, this one doesn’t do any tilting, instead it fills from the bottom.

Food-wise, the offerings featured a couple of hot dishes, a soup or stew, various cold canapes, cold cuts, cheese and desserts. Interestingly, on that massively crowded Friday evening, each food replenishment was a different hot item. It was nice to see variation, though it meant if you missed a favourite item then you’re out of luck for the rest of the evening!

I would say the quality of food was mostly average. On the bright side, the items were things I would want to eat, compared to the Conrad Tokyo which tended to feature more unusual dishes which I couldn’t always appreciate. It was also great to see more variation in the offerings as well, not always a given in hotel lounges. The quantity on offer definitely wouldn’t be sufficient for a full meal. At least it wasn’t for me, I can’t speak for my fellow guests, the majority of whom were taking every item in half dozens each time. In any case, in the culinary heaven that Japan is, I wouldn’t be wasting too many calories on hotel lounge food.

Overall, the Hilton Hiroshima’s lounge is pretty good for a Hilton lounge. The food offerings are sufficiently wide and offer variety, at acceptable quality. The Hilton Osaka perhaps had a slightly wider selection, but I preferred the variety of the Hilton Hiroshima. The staff were incredibly hardworking. The somewhat small space is clearly an issue during high occupancy, but credit again to the staff for managing as best as they could. Massive crowds aside, this was definitely one of the better Hilton lounges I’ve visited.

Food & beverage

The Hilton Hiroshima has four F&B venues:

• Mozaik: all-day buffet dining venue
• Flow Lounge: lobby lounge
• Sensui: Japanese restaurant offering teppanyaki, sushi and kaiseki. Open for lunch and dinner
• Zatta: bar and lounge, also serves afternoon tea

Apart from Flow in the lobby, the rest of the F&B venues are on the 6th floor. As is my usual habit, I only dined at Mozaik for breakfast.

Mozaik breakfast

Breakfast is served at Mozaik from 6.30am onwards, ending at 10am on weekdays and 10.30am on weekends. Breakfast proved to be perhaps the high and low points of service at the Hilton Hiroshima. The Diamond recognition shined brightest here, while food replenishment seemed to be an alien term, a total contrast to the Executive lounge.

At the entrance to Mozaik, there was a sign with a priority line for Honors Diamond and Gold members. We tended to dine a little later, and I never had the need to maneuverer my to the priority line. Again, a nice touch by the hotel to reconigse Honors elites.

I also noticed that the Mozaik front desk had a collection of silver and gold cranes. When we were escorted to our table, the staff took a silver crane. It took until my second morning for me to realise that the silver cranes appeared to be for Diamonds, and the gold cranes for Gold members (duh). As tends to be the case in Asia, we got the full breakfast buffet complimentary by virtue of my Diamond status. In addition, the staff also showed us a special drinks menu only for Honors elites, which also included an additional special dish. At the time of our stay, this was fried oyster – oysters being a specialty of the area. The Hilton Hiroshima really put a lot of effort into recognising elite members.

The fried oyster was good, being freshly prepared. With a day of oyster eating at Miyajima, we limited ourselves to just one fried oyster each morning.

The breakfast buffet featured all the usual suspects. Cereals, breads, fruits Japanese items and western hot food. There was also an egg station, udon or soba station, and a daily fish dish. Oddly, a white chocolate fountain made an appearance on Saturday morning as well.

On our first morning, the omelette station listed oyster omelette. This was actually pretty nice, with a single plump oyster inside a nicely cooked omelette. Oddly, on our second morning, the list of choices didn’t have oyster, but I requested for it, and the chef duly prepared an oyster omelette. I do recommend it if available.

The problem with Mozaik however, was that the food never got replenished, at least at the time we went down. OK, we were there around 35min before end of breakfast on Friday, and around 90min on Saturday. However, food replenishment was excruciatingly slow. On Friday, it never happened at all. This was a very low point in what was otherwise stellar service throughout.

The slow to nonexistent replenishment aside, the food quality was alright, and the selection wide enough to keep us satisfied across our short stay. Of course, our options were rather restricted on the first morning because of the lack of replenishment, but we survived. This is definitely something the hotel needs to sort out. This lack of effort was a total contrast to what was seen in the Executive lounge. The other minor complaint I have is the lack of non-acidic, non-citrus cut fruits like melons. Fresh fruits are one of the things I pay most attention to, so seeing just mostly orange, grapefruit and pineapple was somewhat disappointing.

On the positive side, while many hotels reduce the inclusions for elite complimentary breakfast – which admittedly is within their right given the benefit is technically continental breakfast – it was extremely refreshing to see the Hilton Hiroshima take the opposite approach and give elites more. I hope the hotel will continue to maintain this high level of recognition. If only they would be a little more hardworking and replenish the food…

Other F&B venues

As mentioned, I didn’t patronise the other F&B venues in the hotel. I did check out some of the spaces for the heck of it though. The Japanese Sensui is located beside Mozaik, and in fact part of the space serves as an overflow area during breakfast.

Zatta bar and lounge is located on the opposite side of the lift lobby from Mozaik and Sensui. It did look quite inviting for an evening drink.

Flow lounge serves as the hotel’s lobby lounge. It seemed quite popular during the daytime.

Amenities

The Hilton Hiroshima is not a massive hotel, but is still fully equipped with a spa, swimming pool and gym. Unfortunately due to the short duration of our stay, I didn’t really have time to try out the facilities, though of course I stopped by for a quick walk through for this review.

Spa by L’Occitane

The Spa by L’Occitane is located on the 5th floor, together with all the other facilities. More info on the spa and prices can be found here (Japanese only).

Swimming pool

The swimming pool was apparently designed to be reminiscent of a torii (traditional Japanese gate), no doubt a nod to one of Hiroshima’s most famous sights, the torii at Itsukushima shrine on Miyajima. Unfortunately when I dropped by the pool it was crowded with families, and I didn’t want to look like a pervert taking pictures, so here’s a photo from the hotel’s website.

Gym

The was rather compact, matching the overall scale of the hotel. There were a number of cardio machines, free weights, but not too many resistance machines. The equipment were from Technogym, as is usually the case with most Hilton properties.

Conclusion

The Hilton Hiroshima is a fantastic addition to the hotel scene in Hiroshima, and to Hilton’s portfolio in Japan. It shines in every way that a new hotel should, and I really hope the hotel continues to maintain the excellent service standards. The Diamond recognition here was really one of the most impressive aspects of the stay, and indeed one of the best “Diamond experience” I’ve had at any property. The location and lack of proximity to public transport is perhaps the only negative, but it’s hardly out of the way, just a little walking required. Overall, the Hilton Hiroshima is a really great hotel for visitors to Hiroshima looking for an international chain hotel, and one I’d definitely love to return to.