Kusatsu Hotel Spa Spax

The room, location, and onsen were all fine, but the restaurant food and service were awful for what this place costs. I've visited Kusatsu several times, and I really wanted to like it. After two nights here, though, the experience fell well below the bar. Both dinners we were paired with a waiter in training. They seemed so inexperienced that I felt sorry for them, especially as management had left them to serve the courses with so little practice. They were nervous, served things out of order, dropped a straw, and forgot a request I'd made earlier. I couldn't relax and enjoy dinner. The food itself was bland and tasted almost pre-cooked, not what I expected from a two-day vacation. I'm especially disappointed because the good reviews on several booking sites had left me with fairly high expectations.

It was my first onsen experience, in Kusatsu, and the staff were very courteous and nice. The front desk was open 24 hours, so there was someone available late at night too. We stayed in May 2019, when it wasn't crowded. Dinner was a delicious multi-course meal, and breakfast was good as well. The women's public bath had indoor and outdoor sections at night. I think the other bath was indoor only.

We really enjoyed our stay. The Japanese-style tatami bedroom was cozy, the indoor and outdoor onsen were relaxing, and the staff provided great service. Breakfast was delicious and dinner was delicate. The free shuttle bus was handy for getting around. If you need ski or snowboard gear, ask at the front desk. There's a small rental room in the basement, and they'll call the owner to come to the hotel and help you find boots in the right size. Renting there is much cheaper than at the ski area.

The room is old and there's no elevator, but the service was really good. They even lent me an umbrella and called a bus outside of working hours. The food wasn't bad either. I love it here!