Nanbuya Kaisenkaku

The location wasn’t the best, but we had a really good one-night stay. The rooms were huge, and we got the quintessential yukatas to wear. Even the bath water came from the hot spring. We chose the buffet for both dinner and breakfast, and the food was a great way to try what Aomori has to offer. Service was impeccable. There was also a lounge guests could use for free, with snacks that were available to buy from the hotel shop if you liked them.

This onsen hotel was top, top class for me. The rooms were clean, the in-room bath had real onsen water flowing into it, and the drinks in the refrigerator were free. The food was super delicious, the shows were amusing, and the whole stay felt relaxed and wonderful. The service was top class too. I know some reviews out there are dishonest, with people paid by big, famous brands to praise hotels that are actually bad compared with others. I’m giving my most honest review here. This is what a top-class onsen hotel should be. Highly recommended. Please don’t be fooled by some big onsen hotel brand.

We really enjoyed our stay, especially the good range of food at both dinner and breakfast. The onsen on the top floor is huge and has a lovely ocean view. Our ocean-view room was clean and spacious, with a sitting area where we could relax with a drink and look out at the water. At the front door, the concierge welcomed us and took us to the lounge for a welcome drink. Check-in was smooth and pleasant. Thank you!

The town itself wasn’t the most interesting for me, but the ryokan was very nice and good value for the quality of the service and rooms. There was a shamisen performance both nights I stayed, by two different players. The included breakfast buffet had a little of everything, from danish and traditional japanese breakfast to cereal, fried chips, soups, juice, and coffee. The onsen is on the top floor, with a small open-air bath overlooking the highway. You’d be fully visible to people below if you stood too close to the railing, so I wouldn’t recommend doing that.