Hotel Cycle
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Hotel Details
Location
Hotel Cycle · Onomichi, Japan
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Key Highlights
- ✓Prime Waterfront Location: Situated directly on the water, the hotel offers beautiful views and is an excellent starting point for the Shimanami Kaido.
- ✓Exceptional Dining: Both breakfast and dinner receive rave reviews for quality and local ingredients.
- ✓Outstanding Service: The staff are frequently described as extremely friendly, attentive, and helpful.
Expert Review: Hotel Cycle
Hotel Cycle in Onomichi, Japan, a Michelin Key Selected property, consistently earns high praise for its innovative cycling-centric concept, stylish design, and exceptional hospitality. It is widely considered an ideal base for those embarking on the renowned Shimanami Kaido cycling route.
1. Overall Rating & Sentiment
Hotel Cycle enjoys an overwhelmingly positive reputation, with guest ratings frequently ranging from "Exceptional" to "Outstanding," often scoring between 9.0 and 9.9 out of 10. Guests describe their stays as "superb," "perfect," and highlight a strong desire to return. The general consensus is that the hotel offers a unique and highly satisfying experience.
2. Key Highlights
Guests consistently laud Hotel Cycle for several standout features:
- Cycle-Friendly Design: The hotel is specifically designed for cyclists, allowing guests to ride their bikes directly to the 24-hour front desk and even into their rooms, which are equipped with bike hangers. An on-site Giant bike shop and repair space further enhance this appeal.
- Stylish and Modern Aesthetic: The hotel, a renovation of a former warehouse within the Onomichi U2 complex, blends industrial origins with organic warmth, creating a hip, contemporary, and comfortable atmosphere.
- Prime Waterfront Location: Situated directly on the water, the hotel offers beautiful views and is an excellent starting point for the Shimanami Kaido.
- Exceptional Dining: Both breakfast and dinner receive rave reviews for quality and local ingredients.
- Outstanding Service: The staff are frequently described as extremely friendly, attentive, and helpful.
3. Room Quality
The rooms at Hotel Cycle are characterized by their unique, stylish, and comfortable design. They feature charcoal-toned walls and atmospheric dim lighting, fostering a relaxing ambiance. Beds are equipped with comfortable mattresses, often Simmons, ensuring a good night's sleep. Bathrooms are spacious, modern, and include bathtubs and often separate rain showers. Thoughtful amenities include organic toiletries, U2's original blend coffee and tea, and custom-made local Bingo denim pajamas. Each room is also practical for cyclists, featuring dedicated bike hangers.
4. Dining Experience
The dining experience at Hotel Cycle is a major highlight. Breakfast is frequently described as "superb" and "exceptional," with some guests calling it the best they've had at a hotel. The restaurant, "The RESTAURANT," serves multiple dishes prepared with fresh local ingredients for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast options cater to various dietary needs, including Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free, and American choices. Additionally, the complex houses a cafe and a bakery, while the Kog Bar offers drinks and snacks with a beautiful night view. Takeaway breakfast options are also available if requested in advance.
5. Service & Staff
The service and staff at Hotel Cycle consistently receive top marks, with staff performance often rated around 9.2. Guests praise the staff for being "extremely friendly and attentive," "wonderful," and "going above and beyond" to ensure a memorable stay. Many appreciate the multi-lingual capabilities of the staff, who are helpful with everything from local recommendations to luggage forwarding services for cyclists. The unique ability to check-in with your bicycle is also a noted convenience.
6. Location & Accessibility
Hotel Cycle boasts an "amazing" and "fantastic" location right on the waterfront in Onomichi. It is ideally situated as the starting point for the scenic Shimanami Kaido cycle path, which connects Honshu and Shikoku. The hotel is easily accessible, being just a 5-minute walk from JR Onomichi Station. The larger Onomichi U2 complex, where the hotel is located, offers various shops, a cafe, a bakery, and a Giant bike shop. Nearby attractions include Daisan-ji Temple, Ushitora Shrine, Hodo-ji Temple, and Senkoji Park, which can be reached via a 20-minute walk or the Senkoji Temple Mountain Ropeway.
7. Value & Pricing
While Hotel Cycle's average room price of around $236-$246 is higher than the average $119 for other hotels in Onomichi, guests consistently perceive it as offering "exceptional value for money." Its unique amenities, prime location, and high-quality service contribute to this perception, with value ratings often scoring perfectly at 10.0.
8. Common Complaints
While overwhelmingly positive, a few minor points of criticism have been noted:
- Room Lighting/View: Some guests have mentioned that the rooms can feel a bit "dark" or may lack a prominent view.
- Parking Fees: Public parking is available nearby, but charges apply (approximately JPY 2000 per day, with a JPY 1000 voucher provided by the hotel).
- No Extra Beds/Cots: The hotel does not have the capacity for cots or extra beds.
- No Pets Allowed: Pets are generally not permitted at the property.
Sources
Points to Consider
- •While overwhelmingly positive, a few minor points of criticism have been noted:
Google Reviews
255 reviews
Recent Guest Reviews
Kate
We cycled the Shimanami Kaido on December 20th, and this hotel was ideally located for the experience. We caught the ferry right beside the hotel to Ikuchi Island, rented bicycles there, and rode all the way back—taking another small ferry that accommodates bikes. We returned the rentals at a shop directly across from the hotel. A note for those particular about their accommodations: the rooms sh...
Joel Gibbard
Stayed here after cycling the Shimanokaido from Shikoku. Great location around 500m from the ferry port where the Shimanokaido ends in the northerly direction. After 20 days in Japan (and 20 different hotels), this was the first one where we could store our bikes indoors, the interior design commits really well to the cycling theme and there are various things throughout the building that will app...
Stan Vierhout
Great hotel, with a cool vibe. The way they repurposed the hangar into a hotel, restaurant/cafe and a bike shop is really well done. The staff is incredibly helpful and speak English well. Especially Kimberly was super helpful and did whatever she could to help out. Props to her!
Alex Marcoccia
One of the most unique and special hotels I've ever stayed at. They have a cozy, chill vibe from the food to the views and the music to the building/architecture. Laundry services were super helpful. The bike theme is pulled off effortlessly. The food options and menu are all healthy and carefully selected. The breakfast that was included in the stay is amazing value. Cannot recommend this place e...
Kaisa Yen
I did not expect a four-star hotel in this area, but for the price I paid (¥25,300 per night), I expected a bit better quality. Unfortunately, the property felt dirty and had a strong, moldy smell from the moment I walked in. I stayed in Room 208 — avoid if you can! The room was old, worn out, and far from worth the price. Don’t expect to sleep past 7:00 AM — the soundproofing is terrible. You ca...
Elizabeth McElhinney
Absolutely loved this hotel. We stayed here the night before embarking on the Shimanami Kaido and were super impressed. The hotel is walking distance from the station and from the port bicycle rental terminal. Unfortunately, dinner was fully booked when we arrived, but the hotel provided us with plates to eat our Lawson's dinner on since we were too exhausted from travel to go out. We did have bre...
Marriott
