Hotel Sakushu Musashi

The open-air bath was the highlight for me. Seeing the full moon from the water made for a lovely atmosphere, and there’s also an indoor bath. Inside, the building has a traditional feel and Christmas decorations, though outside there’s a lot of scaffolding while the exterior is being worked on. There’s a golf course right on the mountain. I asked about karaoke, but was told it wasn’t available. There weren’t many guests, and the hallway to the karaoke room was pitch black, so I asked whether it was open, but… Dinner was fine; breakfast was especially good, with miso-braised offal and coffee at the buffet. You pay in advance, then settle the bath fee at checkout. For families, I’d suggest a Japanese-Western room. The futon mattress is thin, so if you have back pain, a bed is probably a better choice.

The open-air bath was really pleasant, and there’s a shampoo bar where you can try different shampoos. I liked one enough to ask if I could buy it, but they said it isn’t for sale. Apparently it was made just for this hotel, so you can only use it during a stay. Our room was very roomy and comfortable. It’s a little old, but clean and everything worked fine. The staff were good too, and I left satisfied. Dinner was all delicious, especially the tempura, which was fried right in front of us and served hot. I also loved the sea bream rice and chazuke, and went back for more even though I was full. We got a welcome drink when we arrived, but dinner had all-you-can-drink, and the same coffee was in the room, so we didn’t feel we had to drink the welcome one.

I’ve stayed here before. This time I had the deluxe twin, and the bed was so hard I couldn’t sleep. They really need to improve it. The compact twin I had last time didn’t feel that way. Maybe because I came to dinner late, the boiled crab was cold and not very tasty. The table was dark too, with no lights, and I wish they’d been more considerate about that.

I don’t golf, I was just here for a stay. I used to stay in Yuhara, and this place feels like a hidden gem. The rooms are clean and roomy, and the food is good. You can get orange juice and other drinks in the lounge until 6 PM, and there’s a play area too. My kid already says they want to come back. I’ll definitely return.