The modern accommodations at Hiroshima’s Washington Hotel include a well-pressured shower and deep onsen-style tub, Shiseido toiletries, a futuristic commode that you’ll spend way too much time playing with, and decent WiFi (always a roll of the dice in Japan). If you want a sweeping view of the city, ask for a room on the 10th or 11th floors. Breakfast is an immense spread of Eastern and Western offerings, but it doesn’t change much day to day. Most importantly, the hotel’s central location is unbeatable: It is within walking distance of the A-Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park, popular okonomiyaki joint Nagata-ya, minimalist-cool roaster Obscura Coffee, and the bustling Hondori Street shopping arcade with its ¥100 shops and over-the-top gaming centers (Taito Station is the jam). Room rates range between $70 and $150 USD a night—representing excellent value in a notoriously expensive country.

2-7 Shintenchi Naka-ku, Hiroshima, Japan; +81-82-553-2222.

Additional photos by Cartogramme