Katsuragawa

The buffet had a wide selection, including hot food cooked fresh, and the private onsens were a nice feature. Rooms were great, facilities good, and the service warm. It was good value for money. Dormy Inn is a large hotel chain, and we’ve appreciated the consistently good guest experience at its hotels.

The facilities besides the food were quite good, but the room was old and dusty, and the toilet smelled unpleasant. For a rate of about ¥20,000 per person, both buffet dinner and breakfast were disappointing. The sushi was among the worst I’ve had at a Japanese hotel in this price range.

The kids had a great time here, and the seven private onsens were easy to use. We never waited more than ten minutes. Dinner and breakfast both had plenty of choices, and the free ramen at night was a nice extra. The hotel felt very clean with its no-shoes rule, though the play area and toys looked a little dated. Staff greeted us as soon as we arrived for our two-night family stay in early March.

This place felt peaceful and not very touristy, with nature all around. You can catch a bus from Shunzenji station or walk there in about 25 minutes. The public and private onsens were both lovely. I’d seen complaints about the food, but I thought the breakfast and dinner buffets had lots of variety. Free ice cream and massage chairs were a bonus, and the staff and setting made the whole stay fantastic.