Kaikatei Kawai

We stayed overnight with my elderly parents, and it worked well for us because the rooms, bathrooms, and dining area are all close together in the three-story building. The hotel is old, but clean and very comfortable. The facilities are minimal, though we didn’t run into any particular problems. There was just one cup in the bathroom, along with toothbrushes and towels, but the refrigerator had ten glass cups lined up inside. The tea set had stylish cups and a generous caddy of brown rice tea, plus one kettle of water. It has a Showa-era feel, but I felt they understood that guests want to relax in their rooms. The food lived up to what I expect in Niigata. Dinner had crab, grilled silver cod, and Sea of Japan seafood sashimi, including yellowtail, sweet shrimp, and sea bream. At breakfast there was simmered flatfish and other dishes, and the rice cooked in a kama pot was excellent. Since it was New Year’s, we also had rice cakes. The local ingredients were delicious. The staff were kind too, greeting us whenever we passed in the hall.

The meals were great for both taste and portion size, and the sea view from the open-air bath was lovely. The hot spring has one indoor tub and one outdoor bath. The outdoor one is about 2 meters across, so four adults fill it, though you might get it to yourself if you’re lucky. I was told it was open from 6 AM to 11 PM. I stayed for one night with meals on Saturday, March 21st. The room had one area of about 12 tatami mats and another of about 4.5. The best part was the beautiful view from the room. When staff came to lay out the futons as a complimentary service, I asked to use the 4.5-tatami room. The toilet was only separated by a wall, so sounds carried clearly, and I could also hear the next room’s door opening and closing. Next time I think I’ll ask for the window-side room in the 12-tatami space. I had a very good stay and would come back. Next time I definitely want to visit the cat cafe below Kaisen-tei Kawai.

The cats mentioned in other reviews came to welcome us 🐈️, and the room was clean and spacious, almost too big for just the two of us. We were able to relax and unwind ♨️ Dinner was packed with seafood from the Sea of Japan, especially the snow crab, which had an astonishing amount of meat!! 🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀 I’d had a disappointing meal at a Teradomari inn on an earlier trip where the food was sparse, so this made up for it (lol). I’ll definitely stay again.

The staff were so thoughtful that I could really relax during my stay. It was raining, unfortunately, but I still caught a glimpse of the setting sun from the open-air bath. The food was delicious, and I’d love to come back.