La Vista Atami Terrace

I really like this area and would love to stay at this hotel.

The rooms are clean, new, and excellent, and the private onsen was big and comfortable. We arrived Thursday at 6 pm after the typhoon and checked in. We went up, loved the room, and enjoyed the onsen. I’ve been to Atami before and know the restaurants, but after spending the whole morning hauling vinyl records around Tokyo, I was tired and decided to stay in. That’s when the trouble started. Nobody had told us the restaurants required reservations. You couldn’t just walk in, and there was no buffet, sushi, or sashimi available without booking ahead. We were hungry and didn’t want to go out, but couldn’t buy food either. At the buffet restaurant, a woman told us there was no food and called someone to check. She made large hand gestures saying no. The poor woman was scolded for asking about us, which felt very unwelcoming. There was plenty of food at the buffet and only a few guests eating, so it was hard to understand why we were turned away. I know some rules in Japan are strict, but the restaurant sign said last order was 9:30 pm. I wanted to eat at 7:30. The staff’s English was limited, though that was okay since I speak some Japanese. The only option they gave us was to wait until 9 pm for the free ramen on the 4th floor. I wanted to pay for sushi, sashimi, or whatever the buffet was serving, and had been looking forward to eating at the restaurants. I work as a hospitality team leader, and I think the reservation system needs improving. Guests should be told about it before making plans. You might check in, shower, see the 9:30 pm last order, and think you have time to relax in comfortable clothes and eat. If I’d known, I could have eaten before checking in. You also have to reserve the private onsen cielo. If you don’t speak Japanese, you can miss out on the hotel’s amenities. Everything needs to be reserved before you arrive, including dinner and onsen use. Massage also requires advance booking, though it isn’t expensive if you live in HK. We paid 32K yen for one night and could barely use the amenities. The rooms are great, clean, and have plenty to enjoy, but you need to know how their system works. It’s disappointing to want the full experience and find that policies and other things outside your control get in the way.

The ocean and Atami coastline views from the terrace were spectacular, and waking up to that panorama alone made the trip worthwhile. Over our two nights, the staff were warm, attentive, and made everything feel easy. The property has a peaceful feel alongside its luxury, whether you’re relaxing in the hot springs or just taking in the scenery. We left feeling refreshed. Everything exceeded our expectations, and we’re already looking forward to coming back. Highly recommended.

The buffet meals at breakfast and dinner were very tasty, though I felt there could have been more salad and dessert choices. I was also surprised by the limited alcohol selection, with no sake or fruit wine. Even Ito-en has those! The lounge was small, so we couldn’t really relax there, and the waiting space for the private baths wasn’t as nice as the one at Katsuragawa. We had a wonderful view from our room on the 14th floor of the East building. The hotel is new, so everything inside looked clean and beautiful. We enjoyed the hot spring in our room’s private open-air bath, and the public bath was clean with superb water too. We booked the panoramic open-air bath for first thing in the morning, and there were only seven people there, including my husband and me. I recommend going early. Thank you for your hospitality yesterday.