APA Hotel Hiroshima Ekimae Ohashi — cheapest in class, free public bath, proven by 9,500+ reviews
If your goal in Hiroshima is to keep accommodation costs as low as possible while still getting a clean bed and a proper soak after a long day on your feet, APA Hotel Hiroshima Ekimae Ohashi is the answer. Starting at ¥6,500 — the lowest price in the budget category — and backed by more than 9,500 guest reviews, this hotel has been road-tested by tens of thousands of travellers. And here is something many people overlook: this particular branch has a public communal bath (大浴場) inside the building, free for all guests — a feature not every APA property offers.
APA Hotel Hiroshima Ekimae Ohashi sits at Matobacho, Minami-ku — in a position that looks understated on the map but works extremely well in practice. It falls between Hiroshima Station (8 minutes on foot) and the city centre, with Hondori just 12 minutes away by tram and the Inarimachi tram stop a mere 3-minute walk. Whether you are arriving by shinkansen, flying into Hiroshima Airport and taking the limousine bus, or heading out to explore Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima Castle, or the island of Miyajima — this location means you can get moving quickly without fighting your way across town.
"Best value in the area — small room but spotlessly clean. The communal bath downstairs was better than expected; many guests say a good soak after a day of sightseeing made all the difference."
Anyone familiar with the APA brand knows the core philosophy: compact rooms engineered to be fully functional — a large wall-mounted TV, a firm and comfortable bed, a work desk, excellent air-conditioning, and a clean bathroom with everything you need. A Single at 11 sqm is genuinely small, but if your plan is to be out sightseeing all day and come back to sleep, this room does exactly what it needs to without a single wasted square metre — and at a price well below nearby hotels that offer equivalent space and little else.
What elevates the Ekimae Ohashi branch above some other APA properties is its in-building communal bath (大浴場). This is not standard across every APA location. The bath is free for all guests — no extra charge. Return from a full day hiking up Mount Misen on Miyajima, wandering the Peace Memorial Park, or exploring Hiroshima Castle and the Hondori covered arcade, lower yourself into the hot water, and the fatigue simply lifts. That kind of amenity at this price point is genuinely rare.
The 9,500+ reviews are a substantial body of evidence. A property that has seen tens of thousands of real stays and still holds an average of 8.1 on Booking.com and 8.6 on Trip.com is not doing so by accident. The recurring themes across those reviews are cleanliness, good value, and a convenient location — with the honest caveat, often mentioned voluntarily, that the rooms are small. Travellers who know what they are booking into with APA tend to leave perfectly content.
Before you book, there is one important thing to know: APA has several branches in Hiroshima with very similar names. "Ekimae" (in front of the station) and "Ekimae Ohashi" (in front of the station, big bridge) are different properties at different addresses. Read the full branch name carefully and verify the map pin before confirming — arriving at the wrong APA after a long travel day is an avoidable frustration.
To be direct — APA Hotel Hiroshima Ekimae Ohashi is the strongest choice for solo budget travellers or couples who spend the whole day out and want a clean, functional base to return to. At ¥6,500, with a free public bath, and with more than 9,500 reviews behind it, the return on every yen spent here is hard to beat in this price category.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Lowest price in the neighbourhood — ¥6,500 for a clean 3-star room with a public bath
- ✓ In-building communal bath (大浴場) free for all guests
- ✓ Clean, well-maintained room — full-size TV, firm bed, functional bathroom
- ✓ Good location — Inarimachi tram stop 3 min, Hiroshima Station 8 min
- ! Single room is 11 sqm — genuinely small, hard to open a large suitcase
- ! Booking.com score of 8.1 is the lowest in the group, offset by the high review volume
- ! Several APA branches in Hiroshima with similar names — must confirm 'Ekimae Ohashi'
- ✓ Best value for money in this location — pay little, get a clean room plus a communal bath
- ✓ 9,500+ reviews confirm consistent quality across many years
- ✓ Staff communicate well, check-in and check-out run smoothly
- ✓ Inarimachi tram stop 3 min walk — easy to get anywhere in the city
- ! No breakfast included — need to find your own or grab something from a convenience store nearby
- ! No parking — suitable only for travellers using public transport
- ! Small rooms not suited to multiple large bags or extended stays
- 💡If you are travelling with large or multiple pieces of luggage — the Single room at 11 sqm is very tight → choose a Twin or Double if travelling as a pair; the extra floor space makes a noticeable difference.
- 💡Before booking any APA in Hiroshima — there are several branches with near-identical names → read the full name, confirm 'Ekimae Ohashi', and verify the map pin before completing the reservation.
- 💡If you expect a free breakfast or extensive facilities — APA focuses on functional essentials, breakfast is not included → budget for breakfast separately or use the convenience stores right around the building.