Hoshino Resorts KAI Kaga

It feels relaxing from the start, with the hot springs, food and service all making a great impression. Someone is waiting at the entrance to check you in and swap your shoes for therapeutic slippers. After that, they explain when the onsen is available and the dinner and breakfast times.

The crab dinner upgrade was tasty, with a lot of crab prepared in different ways, but by the end we all felt we'd had too much of it. Servers cleared plates when they were empty, though sometimes that took a while because we were too full to keep eating. Breakfast was a filling, tasty Japanese meal. The onsen has indoor and outdoor pools, both quite small. I went around 4pm and at 6am, and there were no more than four people each time. The water was nice, though not as hot as I wanted. My husband and I chose a standard room, while my parents and brother had a room with its own onsen. Our room was large, especially after Tokyo, and looked out toward the public bathhouse. I was disappointed it had a shower instead of a bathtub. My parents' room faced Kagaonsen town, and they enjoyed their in-room onsen. We chose this hotel for the Hoshino name and the crab upgrade. After the cab ride, staff took us to the library waiting room, where we waited about 30 minutes to check in. Then a staff member showed us the room, explained the amenities and went over the schedule for our booked activity. We also took the Kintsugi class. A woman explained the materials used to join broken ceramics, then we “fixed” a cup by dusting gold powder onto lacquer she'd prepared. We couldn't take the piece home, but she said we might see dishes treated that way at meals. A few little hassles: with only one elevator, stairs were faster, which was a pain. The single coffee machine is in the library, so go early if you need coffee. Yuzu juice after the onsen was tasty, but it runs out.

The outdoor onsen felt small compared with others in the Kai group. There was no toilet in the bathing area, so using one meant getting dressed and walking outside, and one changing-room hair dryer didn't work. At breakfast, staff mistakenly brought another family of four into our private dining room and left them there. They were understandably confused, and I had to get up to find someone to sort it out. Dinner was a mess too. Guests queued on the second floor without anyone guiding them. My 85-year-old father had to search back and forth for the dining room because no one escorted him. The elevator was tiny, with a wait of more than 10 minutes, and some people gave up and took the stairs. The portions for our two rooms and five people were so small that we left hungry for the first time at a Kai property and went out for ramen. The food was also well below the usual Kai standard. There was no welcome or help when we arrived. The parking lot was a block away, and nobody came to assist with our luggage. When I asked, we were told to park and carry it all ourselves. At other Kai hotels, staff have greeted us at the entrance, shown us where to park, sometimes parked the car, and offered a welcome drink or pointed out where to get tea while waiting for check-in. Here we were left sitting without anyone attending to us. I've stayed at more than four Kai onsen hotels and trusted the brand's warm service, so I didn't research this location or read Google reviews before booking. I regret choosing it for our family trip. The service, meals and facilities fell short of the quality I've come to expect from Kai, and the premium price wasn't justified. I hope management takes a serious look at this location, because stays like this damage the reputation Kai has built.

The room was comfortable and very good, but that special crab dinner was frustrating. Compared with the same meal last year, both the quality and quantity fell short of Kai's standards. The waitress seemed unprepared and served us without much care.