The convenience of the location is exactly as they say it is, right next door to the train station - you don't even have to break cover in the Kanazawa rain to walk to it. Our room on the west side of the 12th floor was pleasant enough, if a little compact. The view over the train lines and low-rise apartments was nothing special. The bathroom was a little dated, but the bed was very comfortable, with a choice of pillows. But it's a shame we couldn't get a decent night's sleep - the air conditioning was set to hot, and the control unit in the room could do nothing to cool it. The windows were sealed, and there was no means for natural ventilation; all we could do at night was to pull back the lined curtains to get some coolness off the window.
The following morning (before strolling to our daily breakfast at the German Bakery at the station!) we complained about the lack of control on the temperature, and the receptionist explained how it was the time of year that the central air condioning temperature was generally turned up. We asked if we could borrow a fan, but these had all been snapped-up by the other Western guests that had already complained about the stifling temperatures! We were offered a larger room on the east side, in the hope that the increased volume and morning aspect would make for a cooler experience.
After returning from a day of sightseeing we were assisted to our new room across the hallway by a young member of staff literally tripping over himself to help us.
Unfortunately the larger room was no cooler; Kanazawa was experiencing something of a heatwave in early December, and with the room now overlooked by the taller hotels surrounding the station we could not leave the curtains open - even if we could, the rising sun blasted too much heat into the room, meaning the curtains had to be drawn at all times.
The Crowne Plaza is a perfectly good hotel and good value, but until it sorts out its ventilation, we cannot recommend it. True, it had a very convenient location near the well-served station, but there are plenty of others in the area to choose from.
- Crowne Plaza Kanazawa
- Kanazawa Crowne Plaza
