Merveille Arima

Dinner was a highlight. I had the moon mountain course, with a nice mix of local ingredients and fresh sashimi. The citrus and pacific saury combination was a delight. The outdoor rotenburo was a welcome addition, though not having shower facilities there was inconvenient. The staff delivered the service needed, but a little more attention to detail could improve the hotel, especially given its location in the onsen area. The hotel was good overall, though I found the onsen water only okay at best and it seemed too diluted compared with other gold and silver onsen baths.

The onsen facilities were excellent, with four different baths: Gin no yu, Kin no yu, a jacuzzi-style bath, and a cold-water bath, plus an outdoor bath and lots of skincare products. The Kaiseki ryouri dinner with Wagyu beef was superb. Staff were warm and kind, and did their best to explain things in English, even using gTranslate. They were attentive enough to bring our dessert course to the room because we were already so full. We really appreciated their kindness and hospitality. The hotel is aging, but it has a lovely traditional Japanese feel and hospitality. Sadly, our guest room facilities need an upgrade. The thin glass doors let in noise from the train station, which started at 5am. The unit bathroom had rusty faucets and mold around the tub, and it began to smell on our second day. The aluminum closet doors were rusty and loud too. It wasn’t a disappointing stay, but we wouldn’t return until the rooms are upgraded.

Dinner was fantastic, and there’s a breakfast buffet too. The room had more space than a business hotel room, and the baths include indoor and outdoor onsen plus a sauna. It’s only a few minutes on foot from Arima-Onsen station, and for the price, it’s great value. Other hotels nearby cost more.

I was glad I chose this stay for my first onsen experience. The food was excellent, and a translator helped introduce each course. The staff spoke only a little English, but they did their best to answer my questions and explain things. The price was reasonable, too.