Hotel Hot Springs di Akita Prefecture, Japan

During winter, the road for the last 800 meters before reaching the hotel is closed, and you must walk in. Guests need to park at Okama Onsen first. Before arrival, you are required to inform the hotel of your check-in time so that a staff member can guide you on foot to the property. The staff will help carry your luggage, but if you have many bags, it’s best to inform them in advance. The highlight of this stay is definitely the walk to the hotel. You walk deep into the forest along towering walls of snow on both sides, and eventually discover the onsen hidden in the woods. It feels truly special and secluded. The lobby area is not very large, and the number of staff is quite limited, but overall the service was very good. Dinner was served at a counter bar, and the chef was extremely friendly and spoke good English. The receptionist at the lobby, who is from Taiwan, speaks English, Chinese, and Japanese fluently. She explained everything clearly, helped carry our luggage on the way out, and even assisted with clearing snow off our car. Personally, I found the public onsen area to be a bit disappointing. The floor was icy and slippery, which felt somewhat unsafe. However, the private onsen in the room was excellent — very private, spacious for an in-room bath, with a beautiful view and wonderfully fragrant mineral water. The room itself was spacious, quiet, and peaceful. Mobile signal does not work inside the hotel, but the hotel provides Wi-Fi, which was stable and fast. Both breakfast and dinner were very good, and the hotel responded to emails and accommodated our special dietary requests, which we really appreciated. The only regret was that the snow was extremely deep during our visit, making it hard to fully see and imagine the surrounding scenery.

The hotel is located near the bus station and has convenient transportation. It is clean and the food is delicious. The boss is very hospitable. Because I don’t speak Japanese, the boss patiently used his mobile phone to translate Japanese into Chinese to communicate with me because I had to catch a flight and the kitchen was ready early. I prepared breakfast. After checking out, the boss told me in translated words that the road outside was slippery in the snow and I had to be careful. It made me feel warm.

Service: The service was impeccable. We booked a one-night stay with two meals, and the hotel staff were already waiting for us at the station to pick us up. Because we arrived late, they even held our dinner reservation for us! Our train was cancelled the next day, and the hotel staff patiently explained how to take the bus and provided a timetable. They even drove us to the bus station – the service was excellent, and all of this was free! Cleanliness: Very clean. Environment: The hotel is next to a beautiful, pristine forest! The hot spring environment and water quality are top-notch, perfect for honeymooning couples! The tap water is drinkable and tastes incredibly sweet! Service: The service was the best I've ever experienced at a hotel.

The hotel is located on a mountain. In late April, the cherry blossoms at the foot of the mountain were in full bloom, but there was still some snow around the hotel. Lake Tazawa in spring, especially on a sunny day, is absolutely stunning; the water is a deep blue, just like the sea. We had great weather during our stay. Every morning after breakfast, we'd take the hotel's shuttle bus to Tazawa-ko Station to catch the Komachi Shinkansen to Kakunodate, Akita, and Morioka to see the cherry blossoms. In the afternoons, we'd take the Shinkansen back to Tazawa-ko Station, then the shuttle back to the hotel for dinner and a hot spring bath. The hotel service was excellent, and considering the price, the food was quite good too!

First of all, I booked this hot spring hotel on Saturday and it cost me 33,600 yuan. I thought I could live in a big room, but everything became a mess after two sleeping mats were laid out at dinner time. We couldn't open our luggage because there was no place, and we had to jump to go to the bathroom because there was no way to go. I was really angry. I booked this hotel because it is a LA VISTA group, but the food, both the ingredients and the taste are worth the price. There are also many snacks, water, Yakult, and fresh milk in the lounge after the hot spring, but there is no juice. This is what I find strange. In addition, we often pass by the counter, and the waiters treat you as air. Anyway, the way of this hotel is to come and go. Just now we checked out and put on our shoes, and they turned around when we said byebye, and didn't even come to the door. Am I really expecting too much?

The hotel's front desk service is very thoughtful and the surrounding environment is also very good. It only takes 10 minutes to walk to the lake. There is a natural hot spring bath in the hotel, and the breakfast is also very good. You can choose between Western and Japanese. There are also small shops inside where you can buy local delicacies and handicrafts. Very good

The hotel is an old-fashioned hot spring hotel with a quiet environment and free parking. Although the waiter does not understand English, it is also good to take the initiative to try to solve the problem we need to solve. The slope outside the hotel is very steep and steep, drivers must be careful  There is no store outside the hotel, you need to eat at the hotel, although the food is not too good, but full of Japanese flavor can accept 

This very homestay style accommodation started some 48 years ago by the grandma. Two of her daugthers, Kaori and Katura now runs this cosy place with about 10 rooms. The stars are the two Akita inu, Haru-chan (father), 7 years old. And his daughter, Hana-chan (6 years old). it will take some time to warm up with them, similar to Shiba inu. We got to spend sometime with both of them during our stay, including giving them some treats, watched Haru-chan drinks ice cream with ice (it was a hot day). Chatted with Kaori and grandma to find out more about them. We had dinner and breakfast which was home cooked style. It has been a pleasant stay. Very friendly and down to earth family. This is highly recommended if you are into Akita Inu and enjoy homestay.

As luxurious as one can expect. Beautiful place in a secluded natural environment with lavish service and delicious food. The bath are very well prepared and the staff is extremely kind and attentive. It is a hard ask but it would be nice to have some western options at breakfast. But of course this is a Japanese traditional inn yet these options would feel even more luxurious. Some of the decoration feels a bit either dated, kitsch or not being harmonious, I think they need a redesign of the furnitures are it looks more like an assemblage than a harmonious selection of decoration and furnitures. It’s a little on the weird side even sometimes! But the bedding is exceptional. You will have a great sleep at this stay!

After leaving Akita Station, I walked for quite a while (the path was wide and easy to navigate), but the location is absolutely superb. Senso Park is diagonally across, and the Prefectural Museum is right next door. The next morning, I was able to take a stroll in Senso Park while the air was fresh, and then the museum opened at 10 AM, so I popped in for a quick 5-minute look around. The room wasn't huge, but I was surprisingly able to fully open my 28-inch suitcase. There was also a metal rack in the room, perfect for hanging clothes worn during the day but not needing to be washed immediately. The front desk thoughtfully provided a Chinese version of the hotel guide, which detailed the onsen opening hours, free ramen availability, breakfast times, Wi-Fi, and which floors had vending machines, microwaves, and ice makers. It was incredibly considerate! Akita city itself honestly doesn't have much to do, and shops close early in the evening, which is where the advantage of a hot spring hotel really shines! After soaking in the onsen (there's an outdoor one too!), you can enjoy free massage chairs (super large, luxurious, and comfortable). In the evening, there are free ice pops (choose from 4 flavors), and from 9:30 PM to 11 PM, there's free late-night ramen on the 1st floor (it's incredibly delicious! Just needs a little extra water as Japanese ramen can be a bit salty, but the flavor is truly excellent!). In the morning, Yakult is available for free on the onsen floor (from 5 AM to 10 AM). I stayed for two nights, and my favorite and most anticipated part of each day was returning to the hotel in the evening to shower, soak in the onsen, sit in the massage chairs, and eat ice pops.