Hotel Andermatt

The location made it easy to get out and see different places, and we had a lovely Golden Week. I spent one night there with my dog. The room was comfortable for both of us, and the hotel's dog was adorable and friendly. The baths and sauna were a real highlight. There were several different baths, and when they were available at night, you could use one for 40 minutes. The hot water was wonderful. The meal was decent, with portions that felt just right. The cheese fondue was a little runny, though it tasted good with the different sauces. Restaurant service moved slowly, and the way staff explained the rules and how things worked could be clearer. That might help avoid problems. Some of the younger part-time staff seemed unsure how to handle situations, especially when serving, so more support from experienced staff would help. The sleeping area is in a loft, so anyone traveling with older people may want to check that arrangement first. Thanks for a memorable holiday.

The owner's kindness meant I got a complimentary upgrade to a corner room with a lovely view, and I had a wonderful stay there. I also enjoyed the hot spring, which was properly hot, along with the relaxing jet bath and löyly sauna. There was lots to look at around the hotel. I had fun photographing the antique furniture and found the collection of pictures, including ski photos and ones with famous people, really interesting.

We were very happy with the food. Dinner was shabu-shabu and cheese fondue, and one serving filled us up, though they kindly let us have more. The gratin at breakfast was delicious too. On arrival, we were offered an upgrade to a better room because one was available. We also got the bath to ourselves and went straight to the sauna. It started out lukewarm, maybe because we were first in, but after several rounds of löyly it got seriously hot. No cold plunge pool, but the shower was about 15°C and worked perfectly for cooling down. The air was fresh and the staff were kind, which made for a really enjoyable stay. The only small downside was the parking area. It was cramped and felt a bit scary.

At 25,000 yen a night, this was a huge mistake. The place was incredibly dirty and cluttered, and really needed a proper cleanup. Getting to the bath meant walking through what felt like a storage area, which was unpleasant. The room was tiny, with no space to move once we'd opened our luggage. Dinner was shabu-shabu that felt like something we'd make at home. What really shocked me was the pet charge: 4,400 yen times two, or 8,800 yen, even though we stayed just one night, as if we'd booked two. I travel a lot and have never run into that before. For that price, we could have stayed at a high-end ryokan and eaten much better food.