Hotel Sekitei

We had a lovely big room and the gardens were a highlight. The front desk service was lovely too. We booked a smoking room because that was the only option for the six of us, but it didn't smell too strongly of smoke. The downside is the walk to Isawa Onsen station, about 1.5 km, which felt like a long way. Still, a great hotel.

We booked through booking.com and specifically reserved a NON-SMOKING room. On entering, we were hit by cold cigarette smoke and alcohol. We raised it with Reception, and were told the hotel was "smoking friendly." Only when we pointed out the ashtray in our room did they admit it was a smoking room. They said they couldn't move us because they were fully booked. They offered to spray cheap air freshener, saying the other rooms smelled the same way. The aircon and heater were unusable because they'd just blow more nicotine smell into the room, and the aircon was literally brown from previous customers. There was no compensation or offer to make the stay more comfortable. If you're looking for somewhere to smoke and drink until you can't stand anymore, book here. Otherwise, avoid it. The smell was terrible.

The staff were nice enough, but the room absolutely stank of cigarettes. The beds were average, and as a westerner I found breakfast really bad. The hotel felt very dated. I'm sure it was lovely in 1970, but it needs a complete refurbishment. We came to see some of the wine region. The town itself wasn't much to write home about, and if I could do the trip over, I'd skip it.

The futons were comfy and the amenities were great, especially the tea in the room. One tip for the bath: go in the morning, when the misty mountain and town look much better.