Minabe Onsen Asahiro

For a student booking the cheapest plan, the value was really good. The room was spacious, the food was tasty, and hot spring access was included. I was satisfied with the stay, but the service could have been better. It was raining when I arrived, soaked through, and the experienced male staff member at check-in didn’t ask if I was okay or remind me not to catch a cold. They brought dinner to the room, but only showed me where to sit and later explained the sashimi and chawanmushi. Nothing was explained about the hot pot or kamameshi already on the table, and at first I didn’t know how to light the stove. The woman who helped at checkout was also a bit unfriendly. Maybe she’s shy, but that doesn’t make it okay for this job. One massage chair was broken, and the other had a faulty part. The changing-room hair dryer was the weakest I’ve ever used, really weak. Still, the hotel was very good, and I was satisfied. Thank you.

The ocean view from our room was beautiful, and the meals were tasty with reasonable portions. Our family of four stayed in a Japanese-Western room, and my mother’s bed was especially convenient since walking is difficult for her. The Japanese-style area was one step higher than the Western room, so we could sit up, which worked better than having it all flat. The open-air bath had lovely water. It’s not really big enough to call a large bath, but all of us shared it and enjoyed the soak. We were grateful for the affordable stay and would be glad to come back if we get the chance.

The room had improved since my last visit, but the bath at night was too cool and the water didn’t feel as smooth. The morning soak was at a good temperature, which left me wondering about the management. I chose the Kishu Four Selections for dinner because I thought grouper dishes alone might not be enough, but I wasn’t especially impressed. The all-grouper meal I had before was more satisfying. It was cheap, so I can’t complain.

On our family trip, we booked on the same day and they handled it smoothly. The hot spring was especially good, and the bath wasn’t too big. The shampoo and treatment were excellent, too 😊. We had grouper as well. We’d definitely return if we visit Minabe.