Sleep by the harbor at Navios, wander the city by day.

If you’re planning a fun trip to Yokohama, Navios Yokohama makes a great home base for exploring the harbor area. It’s close enough to the main attractions that you can spend your days wandering between them on foot, then come back to unwind in a comfortable, well-designed room at night. It works just as well for a relaxed weekend getaway as it does for a business trip, but for vacationers, the location alone makes it worth considering.

The design leans modern and clean rather than flashy, and that carries through into the rooms. We stayed in a Deluxe Twin, and it was noticeably roomy — more space than we expected from a mid-range city hotel. The real highlight, though, was the view: our window looked straight out over Minatomirai, and watching the Cosmo Clock ferris wheel light up after dark became a little nightly ritual. Rooms come with the practical stuff too — a fridge, electric kettle with green tea bags, safety deposit box, and air conditioning — plus a nice touch of Japanese yukata robes and slippers for lounging around. The bathroom has a hairdryer, and internet is available if you prefer a wired connection over Wi-Fi.

Getting there has actually gotten easier since we visited. Back then it was about a ten-to-twelve-minute walk from JR Sakuragicho Station. Now, though, you can hop on the Yokohama Air Cabin gondola from Sakuragicho and ride it almost right up to the Navios hotel’s doorstep — a fun little addition to the trip in its own right, and a nice option if you’re carrying luggage or just don’t feel like walking.

Location Navios is really where this hotel earns its keep. The Red Brick Warehouse is about a five-minute walk away, Minatomirai and Yokohama Cosmoworld are close enough to reach on foot, and even Yamashita Park, Yokohama Stadium, and Chinatown are all within a fifteen-to-twenty-minute stroll. It’s the kind of setup where you can head out after breakfast and be at your first stop in no time.

Beyond location, the Navios Hotel covers a surprising amount of ground. There’s a Western restaurant called Ocean for meals, a sauna and spa for winding down, and a fitness center if you want to keep up a routine while traveling. There’s also a karaoke room if you’re in the mood for something more fun, a coin laundrette for longer stays, and front-desk services like dry cleaning and luggage storage. Business travelers get a meeting room and business center too, so it works just as well for a conference trip as it does for sightseeing. Massages can also be arranged for an extra cost if you want to relax after a day of walking.

One highlight worth calling out on its own: the hotel bar, Seamen’s Club, which looks straight out over Yokohama harbor. It’s a great spot for a late-night drink, and if you happen to be there on the right night, they run a monthly jazz session that’s worth planning around.

Service throughout the stay at Navios hotel was friendly and easy to deal with — the kind of staff who answer questions quickly instead of pointing you toward a brochure. Whether it was booking a tour or getting a restaurant recommendation, help was never far away.