Fontaine Bleau Atami

I paid more than JPY52000 (USD390) for one night alone, and it was the worst value I've ever had at a hotel. The room felt like a motel with poor amenities, and the price was outrageous. The furniture looked old and cheap, there was no chair at the desk, and the ceiling had stains. The so-called private onsen was basically a poorly built tub on the balcony, and there was no public onsen. The vanity was in the room, separate from the shower.

The room was clean and had its own hot spring bath with a lovely ocean view. Dinner and breakfast were both high quality.

We had a smaller room, but it was tidy and clean, with a private Onzen tub. The tub outside felt a little exposed. The French-style dinner was excellent course by course, though our light meat option really was a light meal. The staff were friendly and we enjoyed staying here. It's a small, fairly new Onzen hotel, so it suits you if you don't need the usual ryokan atmosphere. From the train station, it's a good ten-minute walk with a steep hill down and then back up. And you'd better speak Japanese.

The location is good, and the rooms have the basics with a nice bath. The beds, though, are cheap Nittori ones and hard as a rock. The food is ordinary for the price, and the service feels overpriced too. Staff are stiff and overly formal.