Awaji Island Uzushio Onsen Umemaru

Dinner portions are huge. They call this place very fresh, but seeing fish dying at the table is so cruel. I wouldn't recommend eating here to Western visitors.

We were on a family trip with our 1.5-year-old, and this turned out to be great value. We visit Awaji Island often, and I'd really recommend staying here. The kids had a great time in the kids' room, and we enjoyed the free beer, wine, and other lounge drinks. Our Japanese-style room with an open-air bath was beautiful. The hot spring water was so juicy, and we also used the shared bath. There were massage chairs and ice cream too. Dinner and breakfast were in what felt like private rooms, so we could relax, and the food was delicious. The staff were international, but incredibly polite and gave truly outstanding service. We were very satisfied with what we got for the price, and would love to return with the family. Thank you for the wonderful service.

For my day trip, I booked the Fugu Kaiseki meal with hot spring access. There was so much food that I was completely full, and everything tasted great: appetizers, tetsuka (fish skin), tetsunabe (sashimi), grilled and fried fugu, fugu hotpot, rice porridge, and fruit. I was very satisfied. I'd heard Awaji Island's three-year-old tiger fugu are bigger than regular fugu, and the pieces I tried were indeed large and thick, as well as delicious. The tetsunabe and grilled fugu were especially good. The course apparently comes with something like a certificate, though I didn't receive one. Still, I enjoyed trying something like this. I can't drink fugu fin sake, so they changed it to another soft drink at no charge. Everyone serving us was smiling. I wouldn't call the hospitality excellent, though the foreign staff in particular did make an effort. The hot spring was spacious and very quiet when we went, so we could relax. From the lobby, the view of Naruto Kaikyo Bridge was great. I'd like to go again if I get the chance.

This was my first time at Umemaru. I'd read that the food was good, and the pufferfish and tetsuna were chewy and delicious. The rest of the meal was average. We had a room with an open-air bath, but the shower had hardly any water pressure. The bath was a long way away and it was very cold, which was a shame because the hot spring water itself was excellent. For a room at this price, I hope they invest more in the facilities. The rooms at the New Awaji Group are very convenient and comfortable. The hot spring water quality is so good, and I hope they keep improving.