Livemax Resort Kaga Yamashiro

The room was nice, the view was lovely, and really, everything felt nice!

I stayed in a separate container-style room and had buffet breakfast and dinner. Check-in went smoothly, and the front desk staff were polite. There was plenty to do around the hotel, including a large public bath, manga room, smoking room, restaurant, lobby, gift shop, and game corner. My room was clean and new. It had a modular bath, but towels were provided separately, so I used the surprisingly roomy and comfortable public bath instead. Shampoo, conditioner, body soap, and even shaving cream were available. The dinner buffet had more variety than I expected, with seafood, prepared desserts, and more. Steak and tempura were cooked fresh in the kitchen, and there was also a seafood barbecue section with gas stoves at the seats for guests who wanted to cook their own food. I ate a bit too much. ✨ One thing at the public bath bothered me. About three people with Japanese tattoos were bathing there. I can understand a tattoo, but people with Japanese tattoos are more likely to do annoying things like bathe without pouring water over themselves, leave the door open, and intimidate others all the time, so I’d like the hotel to take proper measures. There was a small sign saying tattoos aren’t allowed. It would help to post a notice online and at the front desk to warn guests.

For a family of four, two nights cost less than 100,000 yen, and we got change back, so it felt cheap and good value. The room with an open-air bath was comfortable, and the alkaline hot spring water, which circulates, warmed me enough that I had to keep the air conditioning on even in winter. The outdoor bath in the large communal bathing area was warm too, and comfortable enough to stay in for a long time. Dinner was more frustrating. We arrived early for the buffet and got plenty of our favorite dishes, but by the time we went back for refills, everything was gone. When I asked, a staff member casually said, “I guess they’re out,” which annoyed me. For context, I’m a fairly tall, chubby guy in my 20s with slightly long hair. So get to dinner on time, and even if you don’t plan to eat right away, bring plenty of the dishes you like and set some aside for later. I was also concerned about hygiene. Some older women coughed into their hands, touched the serving dishes and tongs, then put the tongs back.

We had a very satisfying stay for a low price, and I’d definitely come back. I’d seen other reviews mention service problems and weak bath showers, but I didn’t find things that bad. The open-air bath was small, so families with children couldn’t use it, though there were several kinds of shampoo, which was a nice touch. The Japanese-modern suite was far too large for two people. The bed was right by the entrance door, though, so we could hear everything in the hallway. A partition would help. In the open-air room, I liked that the water temperature was controlled automatically. The window didn’t lock, but being on the top floor made that less concerning. The shower was extremely weak, and the glass wall left the room fully visible from outside, which I wish they’d address. There was almost too much food at both meals. Dinner was very good, with sukiyaki and bulgogi, and having two stoves at each table came in handy, although they made tables for two feel cramped and harder to find. The sushi quality was low, sashimi options had dwindled near the end, dessert choices were limited, and the ramen broth was watery. I’d recommend getting there early. Breakfast also had more than I could finish, and I was very happy to make a seafood bowl. It was a shame they didn’t replenish the fruit.