New Akan Hotel

The views and location were great, but the hotel was quite busy and could use a refresh. The Japanese-style room futons were thin, and although the breakfast buffet had lots of food, the quality wasn’t outstanding. The spa on the terrace was closed.

The hotel is right in the center. The bus terminal is a five-minute walk away, the Tourist information center is behind the hotel, and the Ice Land festival Winter illumination and Fireworks are in front. Our Ryokan room on the Shangri-la side was spacious, clean, and tidy, with a beautiful view of frozen Lake Akan. I just wish there were more accessible outlets in the tatami area. I had to unplug the kettle to use one. The lobby carpet and sofa also need a refresh, since they had obvious stains. The rooftop onsen has an open-air bath where men and women bathe together, and swimsuits are required. Ladies can wear the provided orange top and shorts. It can get crowded, so plan ahead, but it was relaxing even in the cold and snow. Laundry was easy: the machines were mostly empty, and the dryer worked well without leaving clothes smelly. There were tons of choices at the buffet. You pick your preferred breakfast and dinner times when checking in. This seems to be a popular hotel for tour groups and Chinese visitors, and it was really crowded during buffet hours. It felt like a competition. I really enjoyed the stay apart from how busy breakfast and dinner service got.

The buffet had so many dishes that it was hard to decide what to eat, and the scenery outside the restaurant was astonishing. I’m also very grateful to the honest, kind staff who returned my wife’s belongings after she accidentally left them in the restaurant. There was cash and some important personal documents among them. We were relieved to collect everything safely at the front desk. Their actions showed real professionalism and integrity.

The property was very crowded, but our room turned out to be unexpectedly spacious. There was a nice view from the windows, good service, and an abundant dinner buffet with lots of choices. The food was excellent.