Hotel New Akao

10/20/2025 - We stayed at Hotel New Akao Hotel New Akao, an upscale oceanfront hotel in Atami, Japan. It has two wings connected by an indoor passage: Ocean Wings Hotel New Akao, at 1993-250 Atami, Shizuoka 413-0033, Japan, with a 50-year history, and Horizon Wings Horizon Wing, at 1993-65 Atami, Shizuoka 413-0033, Japan, with a 30-year history. Between them, there are six hot springs. We chose Horizon Wings for its Royal Lounge and spectacular 270° ocean view. It’s open from 7:00 to 17:00, with complimentary tea and drinks, and wine in the afternoon from 14:00 to 17:00. The lounge also offers free cappuccino from its specialty machine, which most hotels in Japan don’t have in their dining rooms or lounges. From JR Tokyo Station, the trip to Atami takes about 100 minutes on the ODORIKO or 45 minutes on the Shinkansen Shinkansen. The hotel runs a free shuttle to and from Atami Train Station.

My family and I stayed one night, 29-30 Dec, because we had fond memories of this hotel from about 30 years ago. It’s still old, but the facilities are well maintained. We had a good time, though I wouldn’t stay again. The property is huge, with a lot of walking and several elevator rides between venues, so I wouldn’t recommend it for people traveling with elderly companions. I was looking forward to dinner given what I paid, but the buffet wasn’t special and fell well short of my expectations. There were good points: we didn’t encounter crowds at any of the three onsens, the Ocean Wing lobby had nice views morning and night, water servers are on each floor, and the staff were kind and helpful. I don’t think Horizon Wing existed when we stayed before. It could still make a good memory if you’re traveling with someone you love.

For the price, this wasn’t good. The lobby feels like stepping back into the 80s, and the facilities are very old and overused. Even the room seemed about 15 years overdue for renovation. Booking things like table tennis, dinner slots, or a massage can be difficult on weekends because everything was full. There are a couple of decent pools with great ocean views.

The price felt far too high for the quality, and the bathroom smelled bad. I booked on Agoda for four adults and two children, but the hotel said the reservation was for four adults only and charged extra for the children. At first they wanted to charge full price without providing beds for the kids; after I pushed back, they charged only for the children’s dinner and breakfast. I was especially disappointed because I had messaged to request rooms next to each other and mentioned that my children were coming, but the hotel didn’t say the booking showed adults only. I felt this was an excuse to avoid responsibility and charge more. I’ve traveled around the world and stayed at many four- and five-star hotels over the past 20 years, and this was the worst so far. Such a disappointment, and a waste of my precious time in Atami.