Fukaura Kanko Hotel

Those traditional Japanese rooms are really relaxing, and the old fashioned building has plenty of charm. I especially liked the hallway on the way to the bath, it stuck with me. The meals use local ingredients and felt very Aomori, at both breakfast and dinner. The hotel also makes a handy base for visiting places like the Shirakami-Sanchi Mountains. It can get chilly in the corridors and other shared areas depending on the season, so bring a jacket if you’re there in winter. The station is a bit of a walk too, which makes coming by car a good idea.

I was there several nights on a business package, and the staff were friendly and flexible throughout. I’d happily stay again. The bath was comfortable for long soaks, and I often went between 7 and 9pm. It never felt crowded. The corridor to the annex with the hot spring is especially picturesque. Every day brought different meals, so I didn’t get tired of them. I’d read comments that the food gets cold, but that wasn’t my experience at all, and I was very happy with the variety. The rooms were clean, the air conditioning worked well, and I had no other issues. The one downside was finding a few pill bugs in my room each day.

I tried the hot springs on a day visit, and the temperature was just right. I was feeling very weak and frail, but came away feeling much better. Next time, I’d like to stay overnight.

The setting and the building were fine, and I really liked the hot springs. The dinner, though, was awful for the price. I wasn’t expecting fancy ingredients, but some local food or something unusual would have been nice. Is the goldfish-like blackthroat seaperch local? The small flounder arrived cold, the fishy vinegared dish was worse than supermarket sashimi, the fried items were minced meat and frozen corn, and the teppanyaki was chawanmushi. I’ve never felt this kind of disregard for guests at a hotel. The soup I assumed was fishball soup turned out to be frozen tsukune soup. The food showed so little taste or care, and then they had the audacity to explain it. Alcohol was expensive too, so the trip felt like it was missing a bit of enjoyment. Cost-cutting might explain it, but it’s completely unacceptable. Rooms: 2 Service: 2 Location: 2