Higashiura Sun Park Hana No Yu

I wanted to keep costs down, so I bought food at a nearby supermarket. There's also a coin laundry close by, which made errands convenient. It's a bit far from Awaji Island's main tourist spots, but I like that expensive places have their own strengths and a simple place like this has its own charm. The accommodation is a training facility that's also open to the public. It has just the basics, but the public bath next door is always available. It's a little dated, but clean and inexpensive, which suited me.

I stayed for two nights and three days starting December 25th, with one other person. It was the Carnation room for five people, costing ¥18,414. There were two rooms, so it felt quite spacious. The air conditioning worked well. A toilet and combined bath unit were in the room, with the temperature set at 41 degrees and not adjustable, so I warmed it up a little. The shower had pretty strong water pressure. Shampoo, conditioner, body soap, paper cups, and powdered tea were provided. The toilet had a washlet, and the unit seemed newly installed, so it was quite clean. Breakfast was the only meal included. I really liked the ochazuke buffet, especially the rice. Breakfast runs from 6:30 AM to 9:00 AM. The large public bath is next to the accommodation and open from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Shampoo, conditioner, and body soap are supplied there too. It has a small but comfortable open-air bath connected to the indoor bath by a door. There's also a sauna for about eight people, with no thermometer, but it felt very hot, perhaps around 95-100 degrees. A cold bath is available, so it's suitable for sauna use. There's no TV, only an hourglass. There's no dining hall in the building, but a very cheap restaurant is within walking distance, so finding food isn't a problem. Reception seems to have moved from the accommodation to the bath facility, perhaps because of staff reductions. I was very satisfied with the quality for the price. My only small wish was that the bath opened in the morning.

It's inexpensive and clean, and seems to have been a training facility before. There's a toilet in the room, plus a shared shower booth and washroom. No amenities are provided, but you can use the hot spring next door.

My mother loves both flowers and hot springs, so during cosmos season we went to Hanasajiki, the large park where different flowers can be seen throughout the year. We wanted an inexpensive stay, and this hotel with a hot spring was quite cheap, so we picked it. The hot spring is in a separate building, a little smaller than a typical public bathhouse, and many locals use it. The open-air bath was lovely, with the moon and stars above and flowers planted around it. There are also a sauna, cold plunge pool, and jacuzzi. Overnight guests can bathe until 10 PM, but it was a shame that we couldn't go in the morning. We chose a no-meals plan, which made the stay especially cheap. The nearby convenience stores and supermarkets, plus the bento boxes we bought along the way, were enough for us. The room was quite spacious, the facilities were standard, and the WiFi was good.