Japan, 〒600-8237 Kyoto, Shimogyo Ward, Taimatsucho, 1番地

This upmarket hotel is 4 km from both Kiyomizu-dera temple and Nijō Castle. Bright, modern rooms offer free Wi-Fi and air-conditioning, as well as tea and coffeemaking facilities, minifridges and flat-screen TVs. Elegant suites add living rooms. Room service is available. Amenities include a Jacuzzi, a men’s sauna and an indoor pool. There are 6 chic restaurants offering international fare, as well as a plush lounge and a Spanish-style bar.

1256-1 Hirano, Yamanakako, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi 401-0502, Japan

This informal hotel with views of Mount Fuji is 3 km from Lake Yamanaka and 5 km from Yamanakako Teddy Bear World Museum. The unpretentious rooms come with flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi, plus minifridges and sitting areas. Some have living areas with tatami floors and traditional short-legged dining tables; understated rooms with full tatami floors provide futons. Breakfast is available for a fee, and there's an on-site grill restaurant. There's also a gender-segregated bathhouse with natural hot spring water, offering outdoor areas and views of Mount Fuji. Other amenities include tennis courts, banqueting facilities and free parking.

2 Chome-1-1 Korinbo, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0961, Japan

A 9-minute walk from the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, this elegant hotel is 1 km from the Kanazawa Castle and 2 km from the Kenroku-en garden. The relaxed rooms, some with city views, feature free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and minifridges, as well as tea and coffeemaking facilities. Suites add living rooms. Room service is available. There's a polished bar/restaurant and a casual eatery. Other amenities include a lounge and an exercise room, plus meeting and event space. Parking and breakfast are available for a surcharge.

Japan, 〒102-8578 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Kioicho, 4−1 New Otani Garden Tower, ホテル

In a high-rise on 4 hectares of gardens, this polished hotel is 12 minutes by foot from the National Theatre of Japan and a 7-minute walk from a train station. Accommodations range from relaxed rooms with sitting areas and city views to suites featuring separate living rooms and stationary bikes. All have Wi-Fi access, flat-screen TVs and safes, as well as minifridges, and tea and coffeemakers. Room service is offered. Amenities include 7 restaurants, 2 cafes and a bar. There are indoor and outdoor pools (fee), a gym and a shopping arcade, plus a spa and a wellness center. Parking, breakfast (surcharge), and meeting/event space are available.

2 Chome-8-8 Akancho Akankoonsen, Kushiro, Hokkaido 085-0467, Japan

Set in 2 buildings on the banks of Lake Akan, this relaxed hotel with an 8-story atrium lobby is 2 km from Kokusetsu Akankohan ski resort and 17 km from Mount Meakan volcano. Airy rooms offer free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and minifridges. Some rooms have lake views, and/or tatami floors, futons and chabudai dining tables. Upgraded rooms feature living areas. Complimentary perks consist of parking, and breakfast and evening meals served in a bright restaurant that has floor-to-ceiling windows. Other amenities include a casual bar, a rooftop pool and hot tub with lake views, and a communal bathhouse with hot spring water.

977-1, Kotohira, Nakatado District, Kagawa 766-0001, Japan

This informal hot spring hotel is an 11-minute stroll from the Kotohira railway station and 2 km from the Kotohira-gū Shinto shrine. It's 5 minutes walking from the Kinryonosato museum. Snug rooms come with free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs and minifridges. Some feature tatami floors, futons and chabudai dining tables. Upgraded rooms add sofas and/or soaking tubs. Room service is offered. Parking is included. Amenities consist of a tea lounge, a bar, karaoke rooms and a restaurant with an open kitchen, along with a gender-segregated, communal bathhouse offering indoor and outdoor soaking pools with natural hot spring water. Breakfast is available.

5 Chome-420 Minami 8 Jonishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0808, Japan

This relaxed hotel in a modern high-rise building is 2 km from the Sapporo Clock Tower, 3 km from train and subway connections at Sapporo Station, and 4 km from Maruyama Park. Warm rooms and suites come with free Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs, plus teamaking facilities and minifridges. Upgraded rooms add extra beds and sitting areas. Freebies include a shuttle bus to Sapporo station. There's a traditional bar, a warm regional restaurant, and a laid-back eatery offering a breakfast buffet (fee).