Onsen Hostel Hinoemi

The sea-front view was nice, and the hotel is on a quiet stretch of Atami sea front road. It's up a scary steep slope, so make sure your car can manage it. The building was old, dusty, and had spider webs all around. Our room and toilet were clean, but although it was supposed to be non-smoking, cigarette smell lingered no matter how much we aired it. We got a room with a view and little else. I knew from the reviews to expect an old building, not a fantastic room, but I was still pretty disappointed. Worst of all, the counter staff told us we'd have to make our own tatami bed, taking it out of the cabinet and putting on the sheet ourselves. I've stayed at many hotels and resorts in Japan and never had to do that. Other than the free-flowing drinks and alcohol, I can't say much good about dinner or breakfast. The beef set had five pieces of beef with random vegetables, and the side-dish buffet was very disappointing in both range and quality. I can't believe I paid $230 per pax. It wasn't worth the money at all. Breakfast had the same poor variety and quality as dinner. This feels like a management issue. I wouldn't recommend this hotel to international tourists. You might leave your holiday with a bitter taste.

The only snag was the pretty steep slope on the way up to the hotel. Otherwise it was a genuinely peaceful, wonderful stay. Staff were polite and helpful, and the three private onsens worked on a first-come basis, so we didn't have to reserve. The four of us each managed three solo visits. We were surprised by the all-you-can-eat crab at the mini buffet. The food changes with the season, and if this is what they offer outside peak season, I'm looking forward to seeing what they have during peak season.

The three private onsens were the main draw. You can use any one that's free, and we highly recommend it. Staff were great, and the food was quite good too. We booked a short getaway at a hotel that wasn't too expensive and didn't expect much, but it turned out to be a great choice. We only had the breakfast buffet, not dinner, and still got full from the free oden in the evening and soba at night. They also handed out free ice cream and popcorn.

A little on the expensive side.