Active Resorts KIRISHIMA

The evening meal was the best part. There was plenty of sashimi and sushi, and the Asahi draft beer was all-you-can-drink. The onsen was somewhere in the middle, neither the best nor the worst. Most staff were polite, though a few seemed a little grumpy. The building looked old when we arrived, and the dated interior really needs a makeover. Our room smelled of smoke even though it was advertised as non-smoking. Maybe it was the old carpets. Morning service was awful: the scrambled eggs tasted extremely fake, and so did the bacon. For 24,000 yen for four people, including dinner and breakfast, it wasn't bad, though I know some places charge more. Check reviews before booking.

Dinner was uncomfortable and didn't feel worth the price. It was a buffet, but more like a school lunch where you had to put everything together yourself, and guests had to wear plastic gloves to pick up the food. The hotel feels expensive for the service it provides. The place is run down, and everything looks tired except for the onsen area. It also seemed clearly understaffed, though maybe they were relying on the corona effect to reduce interactions with guests. Making your own futon was acceptable, but having to put the sheets on yourself too was a chore. Usually you can just pull the futon out of the cupboard ready to use.

Set in quiet mountains, the hotel has two separate buildings, east and west. My guest room was spacious, with a clean bathroom, and it felt comfortable and warm. The buffet hall is big, with good food and all sorts of delicacies. If you're an early riser, a morning stroll around the neighborhood is a nice idea.

The front desk didn't explain properly how to get around for dinner or sightseeing. There are only two shuttles a day to the hotel, and their timing doesn't match the train or bus schedule. Besides the onsen, there's nothing to do, unless you want to pay 500yen for half an hour of ping pong. Dinner costs 6600yen, and both dinner and breakfast are very overpriced compared with other hotels. There's no alternative for dinner. Then we were surprised to find the onsen tax had to be paid separately. The service is horrible.