Arima Kirari

It's an old hotel that seems to have seen better days, but it's been maintained very well. The onsen facilities are actually quite good, with a nice range that includes steam rooms and the local golden onsen.

We stayed two nights from 17th Dec 2024, three of us in room 401, facing the mountain. It was a tatami-style room with a bathtub and toilet. The dinner and breakfast were included. Both dinners were excellent: the first was beef grilled on a hot plate with lots of vegetables and soba noodles, and the second was beef shabu-shabu. I've had many kaiseki meals, and the first night was easily the best so far. Both meals were beautifully presented and used delicious local produce. Breakfast was buffet style with a good local selection, though I'd choose set meals for breakfast and dinner if those were available. There are two main onsens. The larger public one has an indoor bath, cold dip and sauna on level 2, plus five semi-outdoor baths on level 3, including a foot bath. The private onsen is indoors, on the reception floor, with Gold and Silver baths. There aren't outdoor baths there, but you can crack open two windows to let cold air in. It had snowed on the morning of 19th Dec, which was lovely while soaking. The tag guests wear to access the lifts has a small sensor showing the room number. You can also use it to buy cold milk and drinks from the onsen vending machines, and items in the gift shop. At checkout they collect the tag and total your purchases. Don't lose it, as someone else might pick it up and there's a penalty. Getting to the big onsen takes a bit of navigating: from reception, take a lift to level 4, walk about 50m to another lift, leave shoes or sandals in the locker beside it, then go down to level 2. The level 2 floor is highly polished, so you need to walk in socks or barefoot. Level 3 also has a gift shop and a large rest area with reclining chairs and comic books. The hotel is on a steep slope, so use the shuttle if you aren't driving. We saw plenty of tourists pushing big suitcases uphill. Outside is a small onsen town, but the shops are spread out, unlike a more aligned town such as Kinosaki onsen town. Since we drove, visiting nearby spots, including the ropeway, was easier. Overall, it was a pleasant hotel stay.

My partner and I had an unforgettable honeymoon stay at Arima Kirari Hotel. We were stressed at first, but the wonderful team helped rearrange our plans and turned things around. KatoSan and SuSan especially went above and beyond. We’re so grateful for their warm hospitality and help.

The rooms were spacious and clean, and I loved the onsen. Breakfast had a delicious buffet spread. I'd recommend taking the shuttle, since getting there involves some walking and climbing uphill.