Ookawaso

The snowy river and mountain views from the room were gorgeous, and the wall-length windows opened wide to let us take them in. Our room for two was spacious, with a good bathroom, a separate toilet, a mirror room, and a small makeup area. It was all in traditional ryokan style, with tatami flooring and two table setups, one for sitting on the floor and another with a floor opening for sitting with your legs out. The hotel itself made an impression as soon as I walked in. A woman in a traditional kimono hairstyle and makeup was playing shamisen. The entrance floor and basement had beautiful architecture that felt authentically Japanese, and there was a fire where you could warm up after a long journey. The indoor onsen is huge, and outside there are baths on three levels looking over the river and mountains. I visited in winter, when everything was covered in snow. In the morning, there were few people in the hot springs. Breakfast was pretty good. The dining room is spacious, with huge windows facing the landscape. I especially liked the specially cooked fuwa gohan, egg cooked over a fire. I definitely want to come back. The Ashinomaki onsen station, where the hotel shuttle comes, surprised us with a cat headmaster and delicious cocoa. It was cute, with lots of photo spots and goods related to the cat workers. Nearby there's a snow park for activities like riding a scooter or banana, and Ouchijuku, a historic Japanese post town with old thatched-roof houses and traditional Japanese goods. To the north is the wonderful Aizuwakamatsu area, with Tsuruga castle and many other attractions.

The outside onsen is lovely, though I wish it were larger since it fills up fast. All the baths, including the sauna and outdoor onsen, were clean and beautiful. The rooms blend classic Japanese style with modern updates, and the breakfast buffet and evening course meals were delicious. Staff were kind and attentive.

The staff were friendly, but the rest of our stay was deeply disappointing, especially for the price. We had booked two nights and wanted to leave soon after checking in. Since we arrived late and there were no shuttles or trains, we had to stay the first night. We cancelled the second night and left at dawn. Our room smelled so bad it made us nauseous, and we woke feeling sick. The walls had stains, the table was grimy, and the pillows were extremely dirty. The hotel as a whole felt unclean and neglected. I’m posting a few photos of our room and the area outside it. They also didn't respect my dietary restrictions. I clearly explained what I could and couldn't eat, but was told to pick around the things I could eat. Some items were described as vegetarian, but I discovered they contained seafood. We went to the Fukushima area specifically for this hotel, so the trip there, the stay, and then finding a last-minute hotel in Tokyo cost us a lot of time and money.

The room got too warm for me to sleep well. It felt stuffy, so I opened a window, and within minutes flies had come inside. Dinner and breakfast, though, were excellent. There are games to play and comics to read, and the city is under a 20-minute drive away with lots of shops.