Awara Onsen Minoya Taiheikaku

I only came to see my friends after they checked in at this hotel. Here’s our fantastic picture. We finally met after a decade!

An older onsen hotel with warm hospitality.

A beautiful place.

The staff were friendly and greeted me with smiles. The service was excellent, and they kindly took photos for me when I left. If you’re not too particular about the facilities, I’d recommend this hotel. The hot spring water is much like what you’ll find at nearby hotels. I usually feel a hotel at this level is enough if the hot spring itself is good. It’s smaller than the surrounding hotels, and the price is reasonable. Some hot spring resort hotels are old, but it really depends on how well they’ve been renovated for the times. I chose a renovated room, so it wasn’t dirty, but the shower was far too lukewarm and unacceptable. The sink also drained poorly. The shower was manageable because there was a hot spring, but I’d complain about it at a regular hotel. The hallways were cold and stuffy, and even the drink service meant sitting right by the fireplace. There are two baths, a large indoor one and an open-air one, and both are showing their age. The hot spring outlet in the large bath wasn’t flowing, even though it uses a circulating system. The open-air bath had some mineral deposits around its outlet, but that wasn’t flowing either, so I’m not sure if it’s also circulated. Breakfast was average, with plenty of rice-friendly side dishes. The clam miso soup was delicious, though the dining area wasn’t air-conditioned. If you care about the bath style, lounge service, facilities, a wide breakfast selection, or a buffet, I’d recommend one of the hotels you can see nearby, either in front or to the left or right. They cost more than double per night.