Hanare Kitaoka

The hot springs and the villa’s atmosphere were excellent, and the spacious private bathroom had good water. Our room was clean, and the tidy garden was relaxing. Still, I can’t recommend this place. I went expecting privacy, but that was exactly what was missing. The villa wasn’t a separate building for each group. It was one building divided into two sections, with a corridor door near the veranda connecting the rooms, even though the doors were locked. The walls were thin enough that I could hear the two women next door talking clearly if I listened. They weren’t speaking loudly, but I could make out the conversation. After that, I kept my own voice down in the room, and it wasn’t relaxing. Meals were served in the affiliated hotel’s dining room alongside its regular guests. A car shuttle goes between the villa and hotel, but the trip is still inconvenient, and the hotel felt considerably lower grade than the villa. That abrupt shift back to reality was disappointing. The food was also quite ordinary for the price, perhaps partly because the dining room felt like a canteen from a local department store in the Showa era. It’s a shame, given how good the baths and villa setting are.