Hotel Union Vert

Just before dawn, I was struck by the view of the mountain ranges from my window. The stay itself was quiet and restful, and the updated facilities and amenities were pleasant to use.

I made the trip from far away after calling about three weeks earlier and being told that Sweets Paradise was held every Thursday. When I arrived on a Thursday, it was closed. There was no notice on the hotel's website or social media, or even at the entrance. I can't be the only person this has happened to. I contacted the hotel on Instagram and by email, but got no response. That feels extremely irresponsible. I've never stayed there, but the way they've handled this gives me an idea of what things are like. Honestly, I don't even want to give it one star.

We paid 5,000 yen for a room without meals, which I thought was cheap. It was spacious, had a balcony, and was clean despite being old. Since the hotel sits on a golf course, the window view was lovely, though the balcony had lots of stink bugs. I suppose that's hard to avoid there. The toilet and bath are separate, but there's no partition, so it seems easy for the toilet to get wet. I couldn't quite work out the shower, and although the toilet seat is heated, there's no bidet. The air conditioner in our room was broken, but they moved us to another one, which we appreciated as the weather had started getting colder. It's a very good hotel overall. I hope we were just unlucky this time.

From the large windows, you get a sweeping view of the Chichibu Mountains. Being beside a golf course gives the rooms a superb outlook, and they're spacious and comfortable. There's also a fitness room and a large public bath. A few things could be better: ice delivery was delayed, the public bath closes at 5 PM, and the shower and faucet didn't always switch properly. There's a restaurant on site, but it may not be open, so check ahead. If it's closed, you'll need a dinner-inclusive plan or food of your own.