Sayo Star Resort Golf & Spa

The cottage-style rooms have a stylish look, and we got New Year’s dishes when we visited over New Year’s. In summer, there’s a pool and golf to enjoy, so it seems like a great place. The bath was a bit inconvenient for me because it was a little far from the bathing facilities.

We enjoyed the camping, and it’s a beautiful place, but the celebrity-like atmosphere wasn’t really our thing. There were lots of families during our 2 PM to noon stay, and it got noisy, so I wouldn’t recommend it for solo or two-person camping. The grassy plots were small. I chose site 28 at the back, which was relatively roomy, but it was also the farthest from parking. We couldn’t use the car site, so we parked below the campground and hauled our gear up a steep slope. That was tiring, especially since there are no toilets at the campground. You have to go down to the registration area, which was the main drawback. I don’t mind the trash dump being far away, but I think there should be toilets up at the campground.

The rooms were nice, though there’s not much around. I’d like to come back in season.

The toilets were clean and well kept, and there were power outlets and beds. The site is also conveniently close to the highway interchange. Still, ¥6,000 for a Saturday night felt expensive for what was basically an empty area pressed into service as a campground. I’d like to see some improvements. The biggest issue was getting our things to the site. The signs said cars were allowed and one car could park at each site, but it wasn’t an auto site and cars weren’t permitted. Staff directed me to unload by the business entrance behind the hot spring, then another staff member said parking there was inconvenient. There was only one folding wagon for rent, so if it wasn’t available, everything had to be carried by hand. The route was unpaved and steep, which took a lot of time and effort. I only found out that day that cars couldn’t enter. My car was packed with bulky winter gear, and it was raining heavily, so I didn’t know how I’d get everything over. Sites vary in size, with some too narrow for a two-room tent or large tarp, though solo campers would likely be fine. Some spots are sloped. Drainage was poor in places, and puddles formed inside my inner tent. The ground was somewhat hard, so forged pegs seemed safest. The kitchen roof was partly open or cracked, so we got wet while using it. It had just one faucet and no hot water. The kitchen and garbage area were the only things near our site. The hot spring facility toilets were clean, but getting there was an awkward two-minute walk, and we had to remove our shoes partway through. That was a pain in rain boots or shoes that are hard to take off. Those toilets were only available from 1 PM to 9 PM, and the hot spring was already locked by 8:50. After 9 PM, and between waking up and checkout, the only option was the hotel toilets, a five- to six-minute drive away. With so much concern about toilets, we limited our alcohol and other drinks during the trip. There was no staff at the campground all day, and no shop or vending machines.