Hotel Sun Valley Nasu

Up on the Nasu plateau and surrounded by forest, this hot spring is a great place to escape a heat wave in summer. There are three different baths and a central illuminated pool that's perfect for kids. A free soft-drink bar is open in the morning and early afternoon, mostly around check-in time. There was a lifeguard at the pool, though he seemed half asleep when I checked out. I paid 18000 for a night, which felt fair for the service and the number of baths.

The hotel is very kid-friendly, and the family pool area was fun. It's about a five-minute walk from the hotel and costs around 500 yen to enter. Still, the place felt old and outdated otherwise. The beds weren't very comfortable, and the shower heads made the water feel like needles, so I took a few very quick, uncomfortable showers.

The buffet dinner and breakfast were good, and the stay was affordable. One of the Nepali staff members seemed odd and was quite unfriendly, never bothering to smile. The other seemed kinder and let me go ahead. That one staff member could use better training.

The onsen is fantastic, and there's a wonderful pool with waterfalls and a jacuzzi. The food is very good, too, and I love this place. Japanese-style rooms are available. There aren't many English-speaking staff, so you may need to know some Japanese.