Higashikambara District accommodation from NZ$55

I was arriving in Niigata by ferry, and so I picked this place because it was close to the port. HOWEVER, there are multiple places where ferries dock, and my ferry ended up at a dock farther away. I ended up needing to take a taxi to the hotel. The view is phenomenal and the room was wonderful. The Chinese restaurant was very good. There was also a gift shop that was great. I had a lot of work I needed to do that kept me in the hotel, so I didn't check to see how easy it would have been to get around the city, though I did need another 10-minute taxi to get to the train station. But I really loved the room as one of the best during my travels, and would stay again if I get the chance.

APA is still a business hotel so the room size is going to be small. Good thing is that it is luxurious in terms of presentation so in a way you will feel the money is well spent. As per APA standard, all the amenities, switches and luggage space (under the bed) is all well planned. Just having the room to sleep this is more than enough. Key thing to note is that the lift will be full of people from 15 minutes before and after the check out time at 10am so don't leave it too late to check out. The other nice amenity is the public baths. Enjoy the warm 40 degree C water to ease your tired muscles after a day of walking and exploring. I don't know I miss it until I got to APA Ueno where it does not have a public bath so enjoy it while you can. Personally I have skipped the breakfast at APA. It is not expensive but after experiencing the other APA's breakfast, I think I can do better at the nearby Cafe.

The hotel is just a short walk from the station on the other side of the river. If you are unable to work, as we were due to an injury to my wife's knee, there were always taxis to take you wherever you wanted to go. This is a luxury hotel and the standard matches that. Staff always very welcoming and helpful, and offered my wife a wheel chair for use in the hotel if she needed it. I would have no hesitation in going back to the hotel again. Also of note is that this hotel is an evacuation centre in the event of a tsunami, so a safe place to stay.