Hotel Gozensui

The location is right in the middle of everything, and the staff were all helpful and accommodating. The hotel seems clean, and I like the concept, but the interior is dated and needs freshening up. The rooms could use renovation or a touch-up. It seems the place was very popular back in the day.

It sits by the lake, near a small, busy tourist town, with a forest trail and mud pool nearby. There's a convenience store right across the road. Our room was fairly large and clean, though dated in an old ryokan style, and it felt safe. We stayed four nights and got fresh towels and yukata each day. The lower-numbered rooms on higher floors may have a better view, with fewer trees in the way. We arrived at 2pm, half an hour before the 2.30 check-in time and a full hour before the listed 3pm time. A few other guests were waiting, but the staff were flexible and let us check in early.

The lake view is quite good, and you can step outside the hotel and walk along a nice path by the water. It takes about 10-15 minutes to reach the Kamuy Lumina exhibition, or 25-30 minutes from Hotel Gozensui to Bokke volcano. We saw deer during the daytime walk to the volcano. At night, though, the Wi-Fi is terrible. The rooms are big, maybe 25-30m square, with tatami mats under beds that feel newer. But the toilet and carpet look pretty suspicious, and the rooms themselves look nearly 40 years old. The onsen is a usual size, with two indoor pools at 40 and 42 degrees and an outdoor one. I'd shower at the onsen instead of in the room's own toilet.

The hotel's decor takes you back to 1980, and the room walls look as if they haven't been repainted in more than 10 years. The dinner they serve is really good, with authentic Japanese dishes. The location is great if you choose a room facing the lake.