Dogashima Onsen Hotel

The dinner service left us with a very bad impression. A Japanese woman serving the food was rude and unprofessional toward her foreign coworker, and it was painful to watch them being treated so unfairly. The hotel visit wasn’t as good as we expected.

There are several complimentary amenities, plus free snacks and drinks, so this place feels like good value. The hotel is showing its age, but the rooms are very clean and well kept. I also loved the beautiful view from the room and found the open-air Onsen really relaxing, especially overlooking the ocean at sunset.

The best thing here is the setting, right beside the Dogashima land crossing, with lovely scenery from the ocean-view rooms. There aren’t many hotels in the area, so they have the market cornered, so to speak. But the property is old and badly needs repairs: water damage outside, peeling paint inside, dirty windows, and a moldy smell in the rooms. For one night, we paid about what a four-star hotel with half-board costs in Tokyo or Osaka. At Dogashima Onsen Hotel, there was no meal included, no futon setup, and at happy hour you pour your own drinks. The pool was closed and the women’s sauna wasn’t working during our visit, two weeks before summer season, and the front desk didn’t mention either at check-in. There’s very little signage in languages other than Japanese. I know a little kanji and managed to get around, but it’s clear the hotel mainly caters to domestic guests. We felt promised a beautiful horse and handed a donkey. I won’t stay here again.

The hotel is old, but the baths, food, and drinks are great!