Hotel Ohsho

The hotel gave our group a separate room on the first floor until 11 pm after we were told the lobby was too noisy for us. That worked perfectly, and I really appreciate the management arranging it. We were there as a large tour group from Taiwan and wanted to eat and drink together. Dinner in the restaurant was great, though some dishes were too sweet for my taste. The rooms are fine for one night, but they're old and could use an upgrade.

We enjoyed a nice kaiseki dinner at the hotel, and stayed in a tatami room. The old hotel is in a town in Yamagata Prefecture. There’s an onsen, including an outdoor hot spring where you can soak your legs. Aeon and a large drugstore are about a 15-minute walk away.

The hotel has a lot of Tendo’s shogi history on display. There are shogi items in the gift shop, and you can try playing in the lobby. I think they sometimes have demonstrations too. Nearby, there’s a covered foot bath outside and plenty of restaurants and local attractions. The staff were great, the room was spacious, and my friend and I had a lovely stay. If you need a ride from the station, call the hotel for pickup, though it’s also a manageable walk. Breakfast was delicious traditional food, with excellent service. I didn’t try dinner, but the staff were so kind that I’d expect it to be just as good. The bath on the women’s side is one large, spacious, beautiful pool, but there’s no outdoor pool. The soaps and lotions are made with local horse oil, so check the ingredients if you’re vegan or vegetarian. I couldn’t tell how the horses were involved. The futons were comfortable, and you can pick your yukata pattern. The place is quite dated, which makes sense for such an old hotel. I really enjoyed being here.

We came with a tour group from Taiwan and had a great time. It’s a traditional Japanese hotel, with wonderful service and great food. We loved it.