Hokuriku Fukui Awara Onsen Mimatsu

The suite’s private garden and outdoor onsen were wonderful. We stayed in one of the eight unique suites, where breakfast and dinner were Kaiseki meals served in our room. It was huge, with two western mattresses, and Japanese-style mattresses stored in the sitting room, so it could easily sleep 4-6 people. Suite guests can also use an exclusive lounge area with unlimited drinks, including alcohol, and snacks, plus a view of the public garden and ponds. There’s a wide range of Japanese bath robes for the full experience and photos, of course. Smaller rooms with private onsens are available on the upper floors too. There’s a large supermarket right across from the hotel, along with a launderette and a large pharmacy, which makes shopping fairly convenient compared with other onsen hotels. The public onsen is huge, but the one in our room was so good that we never made it over there.

This old hotel in Awara Shi has a natural onsen, but there are few amenities in the rooms. They’re traditional Japanese-style rooms, with mattresses on the floor, and the meals are traditional set dishes, including Japanese breakfast. It was alright, but I wouldn’t choose it for my next stay.

The staff, from the lobby personnel to the room attendants, were very polite. I felt safer in this onsen than others I’ve visited because the floor wasn’t slippery, but there are no lockers inside, so remember to leave your belongings in your room. The exterior looks old, while the inside is clean. We stayed two nights, and for the price per night, it wasn’t bad.

The Japanese dinner and breakfast were delicious, fresh, and bright. If that sounds appealing, give the place a stay!