Hotel Dengan bar di Hyogo Prefecture, Japan

A very satisfying trip to Awaji Island was made even better by our hotel. Everything was arranged in the best way. We changed buses from Kyoto and confirmed the pick-up station through the Ctrip platform. When we arrived, it was still early, so we took the free shuttle bus to go shopping (with luggage back to the hotel). We used the coupons to buy lunch and ice cream at Hello Kitty. When checking in, the male waiters all kneel down to serve, and confirm the information of dinner and going out the next day. The room we stayed in is a single-family round house like a yurt with a viewing balcony and a wooden bath. The details of the room are all local characteristics (dressing box, free mini bar/dessert, washbasin are all petrified wood). The central roof is transparent and empty, and you can also observe the stars. We enjoyed the food here for 5 days, especially the dinner was not repeated and changed in various styles. What surprised me was that the waitress could perform saxophone and flute at dinner, and there was a restaurant like a stage on the island where you could also enjoy the waiter's musical performance. The 20,000 consumption vouchers given for 5 days are enough for you to go out for free at noon. We also bought Hello Kitty exclusive gifts for the children at the Big Apple with the vouchers. This trip to Awaji Island is more memorable than the trip to Kyoto, and the people are simple and honest. Everyone is working hard to promote tourism in Awaji Island, which is worthy of praise. I will bring my children here next time.

This is an older Japanese-style star hotel that exudes the understated luxury of an economic boom period. Although the hotel itself is quite old, the room size, maintenance, and staff quality are still maintained at a high standard. Satisfied!

The Grand Mercure Awaji Island Resort & Spa is nestled on a hillside, offering views of the sea and the bridge. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, also boasting sea views. As with all Mercure hotels, it's always bustling with guests, and the accommodation and dining are excellent. This particular hotel is family-friendly, making it a great choice for families looking for a holiday.

The hotel service and environment are excellent, offering a free shuttle service from the station to the hotel. The meals and private hot springs are highlights, making for a perfect overnight stay with two meals. The entire hot spring town also has six public hot spring pools, each with its own unique features. There are many charming little shops along the street to explore, offering a tranquil escape from the city's hustle and bustle, allowing you to relax and rejuvenate!

I highly recommend the Gekkoukan (Moonlight Pavilion) after a two-day stay. It's divided into the main building, Kōmōkan, and an annex. There are three hot springs in total, but the water quality is pretty much the same across all of them. I'd suggest sticking to the main building's baths as they are more spacious and convenient. The only downside was that transfers need to be booked in advance, and there isn't a scheduled shuttle bus. Plus, it's quite a hike uphill to get there, which was a real struggle in the summer heat while lugging suitcases.

General impression: This is a super decent house with an excellent view of the kinosaki village. You could feel the management put lots of efforts to maintain the best comfort of every guest and the whole team operated under warm & effective process. While we are having breakfast or dinner in the dining area, their staff make a very efficient turn to change our yukata, towels, bottles of water, making up mattress on our room.That impressed us so much! Onsen quality: The onsen inside the house is well managed and run until mid night. We can go outside with the free pass of public onsens, but we also enjoy ourselves in the in-house onsen because of more accessories provided there. You can feel the onsen owner care about guests more than the public onsens outside. Dining experience: We enjoyed the half board experience for 2 nights, especially the 2nd night with the tajima beef sukiyaki. The flavors & taste feed us well. Though breakfast is a bit simple, but we could make up some room in our stomach to enjoy snacks or ice-cream in the village. My friend & I would definitely give 5 star rating to Yamamotoya, and will recommend our friends to visit you again.

The hotel is not located near bus station and transportation is required to the hotel. If you cannot contact the hotel for the transfer (like our case) head on to the tourist information centre and they will help you to contact them for the transportation. Check in is strictly after 2pm, but they will offer to take your luggages to the hotel first while you explore around the Arima Onsen vicinity. Contact them again via information centre when you are ready to check in to the hotel. We were greeted by a lady that dressed up in kimono and guided us to the check in counter. The room is spacious and clean. The view is spectacular and you can hear the birds chirping here and there. The environment is totally pleasant and peaceful. The onsen is very therapeutic and our body feel rejuvenated after soaking. As we opt for room-in Kaiseki dinner, we are able to enjoy full privacy while eating the sumptuous course of dinner that serves by a friendly lady attending to us. In all, it is a great experience.

Overall, it was quite good. The only downside was that the lighting was really dim. I called the front desk to ask why two lights weren't working and they said they were emergency lights. This isn't very friendly for people who want to study/work a bit or handle some things in the evening. The cleanliness was excellent. Although the hotel is old, the details were handled spotlessly. The environment was also quite good. From our east-facing room, we could see the BE KOBE landmark in Meriken Park ^ ^ The hotel lobby offers self-service welcome drinks, and it was pleasant to grab a drink when leaving or returning to the hotel. The breakfast was also good, with a variety of Western and Japanese options. We had a sea-view table on the first day, but unfortunately, we weren't assigned a window seat on the second day (╥﹏╥) In terms of location, it's natural that beautiful views and shopping can't be had at the same time, but it's only a twenty-minute walk to the shopping district, which is fine. If you want more comfort, you can take a taxi directly; there are plenty of taxis in front of the hotel. It's very friendly and convenient for tourists! One of the days during our stay happened to be my birthday. I emailed to ask about birthday decorations and was told they didn't offer that service, but when I entered the room, I saw a small card and a flower on the table, which made me very happy!

The hot spring is really big, and you can enjoy both the upstairs and downstairs pools for free. There's a shuttle bus to Sannomiya Station. The room views are absolutely stunning, perfect for couples. Breakfast was just okay, but overall, it's a great stay.

Pros: - Special golden onsen that melts all fatigue away. For us we had a large private onsen so even better - pickup service available, although we prefered to walk. - free drink bar with coffee and fruit soda - large room with massage chair - friendly, helpful staffs - good food Cons: - a bit pricey - although we booked a western style room with beds, we actually wanted to sleep in futons but that was the only room left so we had no choice. When we asked the staff if we could sleep in futons she said it'd be 3300yen per person. So sad 🥲