Aomori was the only city where I could afford to stay in a Smile Hotel and it was worth the price. There were washing and drying machine available on the second floor, and nice quality breakfast to save some money. It was a bit far from the Aomori station but if you have a JR pass, take the JR bus at the stop no. 1 and get off after a few stops, but walking would really take you 15 minutes at most. Great place.