Shiratama no yu KAHOU

The rice-field view from our dated room was lovely, though the bathroom sink was worn. We had expected more from a top-ranked onsen hotel, Japan's 100 Best Hotels, after taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo for £50 per person each way. The multilingual website and email exchanges suggested English help would be available, but check-in relied entirely on Google Translate. We weren’t offered welcome tea or a tour, even in Japanese, and were quietly led straight to the room. We spent over £750 for two nights and paid extra for dinner to celebrate my partner’s birthday. The meals disappointed us, with fewer courses than at other onsen hotels, and the non-upgraded menu even looked more elaborate. The first night included lobster and local wagyu; the second, supposedly upgraded dinner, was only a traditional meal. Some food arrived cold, and the tempura had to be remade. Our server did her best despite the language barrier, but there didn’t seem to be enough staff. The in-room tub uses spring water only. The public onsen was busy, which seemed related to the hotel’s size. The private bath was beautiful but cost ¥4,400, and the amenities were inconsistent: random toiletries and no Refa hair dryer. Facility hours were odd too, with the game room and lounge opening at 3 pm. Karaoke near the indoor waterfall was loud, and geisha-style entertainment in private dining rooms made it harder to relax. We accidentally left a wash bag behind. Staff said they’d ship it the next day for ¥3,000, but it wasn’t sent on time and we got no updates unless we asked, unlike at other onsen hotels we’ve stayed in. The high-speed Wi-Fi barely worked, probably because of the remote location.

The dinners alone make this place feel worth a visit. We had excellent multi-course kaiseki-style meals, and the chefs and kitchen team did a wonderful job. The gentleman who accompanied our first dinner was very entertaining and distinguished, though we regret not asking his name. On the second night, our gentle attendant was Yurara. Both staff members explained each dish and what to expect from its flavor, which really built our anticipation. Service impressed us from the moment we were greeted in the lobby. The lady proprietor was there welcoming guests herself. Check-in was smooth, and one of the women on staff carefully went over the hotel amenities with us.

We booked the newly renovated Japanese room on the top floor, with an open-air bath and sauna. It was very clean, but the TV was still an old model with Japanese channels only, so there was no YouTube or Netflix. Lots of other hotels have modern smart TVs now, so I don’t understand why Kahou is rated the best.

The hotel was huge, beautiful, and clean, with the hot spring facilities as its real highlight. Tsukioka Onsen has excellent spring water, and the baths here are set up to let guests enjoy it fully. Breakfast was tasty, but the buffet felt much like what you’d get at a regular hotel, which was a letdown given the grand property and onsen. It was our first stay, and there were plenty of other good things about the place. We had a wonderful visit and would recommend this hot spring hotel to people from overseas.