Kur and Hotel Isawa

I was charged 10,500 yen for one night in a room with a toilet and sink but no bathroom. When I asked reception where I could shower, they pointed me to the onsen. I explained that I have tattoos, and they said they couldn’t do anything. After a long wait, they offered a room with a bathroom for 24,000 yen, more than double the price. I understood when booking that tattoos weren’t allowed in the onsen, and accepted that. What I couldn’t accept was having no shower option without such a steep extra charge. The hotel staff were very nice and professional, and this isn’t a reflection on them. It’s a criticism of management. In the 21st century, it seems unreasonable not to offer a private onsen option, which I’d gladly pay to use without bothering anyone, or simply a room with a shower. Asking someone to pay 14,000 yen for one shower or go without is ridiculous.

There’s a huge parking lot, and you can pay by credit card, nearly all electronic money options, or QR code. We visited at 21:30 on a weekday and it was still crowded. It’s a spa complex with different spas, a sauna, massage and relaxation services, several restaurants and a hotel. You take your shoes off at the entrance and go barefoot indoors, unlike in a regular hotel. There’s no shower or bathtub in the hotel room. Still, it’s a good place to stay overnight, and I’ll come back.

It has a lively, popular feel, though there are plenty of places to have fun. The dining hall even has booths for people who want to eat alone, and there’s a games area for kids. You can try a huge range of spas and saunas. The rooms are small but clean, with great WiFi. The setup gives you room to do your own thing. You don’t have to ask in Japanese for a towel or a shuttle bus, since they’re easy to find. It feels like a hotel mixed with a spa and fun park.

The onsen is great, with several baths including one outdoors, and it’s worth experiencing. Foreign visitors should know that you’ll need to be able to read and speak some Japanese. The rooms are very dated, though that gives the place an old-time hotel feel. Wi-Fi is spotty, and there’s no individual air conditioning or heater, so you’ll need to open the window.