Atami Tamanoyu Hotel

I love this place and can't wait to come back 😏 Greetings from Greece

For about 10,000 yen, we got breakfast and dinner in the room, and there was a generous amount of food that was pretty good for the price. The building had a real Showa-era feel, right down to the refrigerator. I wish they'd emptied it so I could store souvenirs. I brought ice packs, but they didn't freeze even in the freezer. I was a little uneasy about the current ban on bringing drinks, though I guess it can't be helped. I'd rather have separate shampoo and conditioner than rinse-in. The luggage storage in the bathroom had no lock, so I had to take the key with me to the bath instead of handing it to the front desk every time. There was a notice about frequent thefts, so lockers with locks would have helped. I'd also appreciate being able to pay by card. Most of the staff were foreigners, and they were all very friendly and made a good impression.

We were very happy with our stay, despite the harsh reviews. We booked after seeing an ad in the New Year's newspaper. From the station, we followed the website directions and took the number 7 bus to Shinsui Park, a six-minute ride. Our room on the fifth floor faced the ocean, and we watched the sunset right over the water. We also walked to see the Atami cherry blossoms along the Ito River, the remains of Oyu's geyser, which now erupts mechanically every five minutes, and picked up 100-year-old yokan, monaka (bean paste), and hot spring buns. Near Oyu, we bought dried pufferfish for 200 yen and a set meal for 1100 yen at a dried fish shop. Dinner was brought to our room. For 1000 yen over the basic price, we got alfonsino and horse mackerel sashimi. The flavor was light, but it was delicious. The rooftop open-air bath was made of light blue plastic, which wasn't very appealing. The underground undersea bath was interesting, bubbling away and warming us up. I felt a little sorry for the small fish in the aquarium because they didn't get any sunlight. Breakfast rice was so good I had three refills and ate too much. The front desk staff were kind: they checked whether strong winds had stopped the cable car at Jukkoku Pass, and gave me a certificate for 100 yen off admission to the plum garden. I really appreciated that.

The room was old, but it was well kept and relaxing. If you love the sea, the view is a must: I nodded off to the waves, watched boats and seabirds go by, and enjoyed Atami's night lights. Dinner served in the room wasn't fancy, but it tasted pretty good. There were a couple of smells to put up with. The bathroom and washroom had a slight sewage odor, and the room smelled of grilled fish, probably the dried horse mackerel cooked over solid fuel at breakfast. There seemed to be a cigarette butt in front of the first-floor elevator, maybe a smoking spot. When the doors opened and closed, cigarette smell drifted up the stairs to the basement, so be careful if you dislike it. Still, the view and hot springs were so good that I was very satisfied and gave it five stars. The Japanese and foreign staff were all very polite too. The large bath on the first basement floor was amazing. Dim lighting and little tropical fish swimming in retro tanks gave it a wonderful atmosphere. Brown spring water seemed to come straight up from underground, gushing like fountains from two places and making ripples and a steady sound in the tub. It was quite a sight, and the first time I'd experienced such fresh hot spring water. Lol. The temperature wasn't especially high, yet somehow it warmed me so much I couldn't stay in long.