Ofuro Cafe Utatane

The place is so appealing that you might end up wanting to spend the whole day there. There are different lounge spaces for games, reading, studying, massage, coffee, brunch, and bathing. I booked it as a cosy, quirky place to stay near Saitama, but it feels more like a spa first, then a lounge, and a hotel after that. If you just need a room as a base for exploring, it may not suit you, though that’s because it’s such a cool place to stay. For westerners, it’s unlike a regular hotel. You hand over your shoes at check-in before getting your key, and the rooms are small, so they’re not great if you have lots of luggage. There are no in-room showers. During my visit, the private showers were out of service, so the communal bath was the only way to wash until I asked about it. The staff were kind and understanding and opened the private showers for me. The staff didn’t speak English, so communicating was harder than at a large international hotel. That’s my own fault for not researching the place more. I’d love to come back just to enjoy the facilities.

I love this place so much 💕😊 They’re fine with small tattoos as long as you can cover them with bandages ✅ Another spa turned me away over a tiny star tattoo on my chest. That really sucks!

A lovely, relaxing stop on the way from Karuizawa to Tokyo. Parking was good and the staff were awesome. Loved staying here! ☆

There are plenty of shared spaces where you can relax, read manga, or have coffee. The onsen was nice, though there were lots of kids, and one was running through the locker room and bumping into people. The room sink has boiling hot water, so be careful. There’s no shower in the room, and the WiFi didn’t work very well at night when the place was crowded.