Ue Garden Resort

Really nice, and the kindness was great.

My kids had a great time and were thrilled after I saw the place posted on social media and decided to visit. Buy tickets at the facility entrance, not the hotel's reception. All-day tickets are quite expensive for children, while the parents' price seems reasonable. You can also get three-hour or late-night tickets, but with such a big park, the all-day pass felt worthwhile so the kids could play as much as they liked. Check the website for details. There's a lot of padding on the play equipment, including around corners, and I didn't see exposed areas. They seemed to have thought of injury prevention even in unexpected places. Cushioned mats cover the floors, so kids don't get tired. Staff handle reception and patrols, but they aren't always posted in dangerous spots, so parents are responsible for safety. Children need special socks costing 400 yen, while parents can bring their own. It's a good idea to wear separate socks for playing, since they get pretty dirty. Parents can also have lunch from the hotel buffet. My child started around 11:00 and played nonstop until 17:00, so he must have had a great time. We'll definitely return. We went on a warm, sunny day in late February, and the facility got quite hot from even a little activity. We saw air conditioning, but aren't sure how effective it would be in summer. The building next door is being used as a tennis court and half as storage, but it looks like the facility could expand. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens, and hope they keep it clean and regularly refresh the toys and play equipment so they don't deteriorate. It's possible to stop at Makuhari Aeon and Costco on the way back. It's a little far from the city center, and on holidays there's traffic near the Outer Ring Road junction. If you're coming from outside the prefecture, going early is a good idea, but the visit is well worth it.

The location is convenient if you're driving. A few minutes gets you to National Route 126, where restaurants, supermarkets, and drugstores are clustered, so meals and shopping should be easy even with a room-only plan. The indoor amusement park is large, and my six- and four-year-olds were delighted, playing all day. The bath area is compact, probably holding about ten people at most, but it does have a sauna. The buffet didn't have a huge number of dishes, but the quality was high and the food was really good. The seasoning seemed different from what you'd usually find at other hotel buffets, perhaps because the chef was Chinese. I was also glad that unlimited alcohol was included. Our room had just been renovated and was very clean. It had a rocking sofa for relaxing, and the side table was handy, with both an air purifier and wireless charging. The TV was already logged into streaming services like U-NEXT and Prime Video, so we could watch a movie with the kids. I was a little nervous after reading reviews before we went, but there was no need, and this seemed like a five-star place. Then a cockroach showed up in the room just before bed. The kids panicked. Someone from the front desk came right away, but they couldn't find it, so we had to move to a Japanese-style room. That room felt old and lacked the comfortable sofa and useful side table from our original room. We did get an apology the next morning, but honestly, spending the night in what was effectively a lower-grade room left me disappointed. Given the room change, I felt some consideration on the lodging cost might have been appropriate. I understand bugs can be hard to avoid in a nature-rich area, but the contrast was especially noticeable because the renovated room had been so nice.

We tried a one-night stay with the kids, drawn by the appeal of Fantasia. Since it was the night after a holiday, there weren't many guests and the rate was close to the lowest, so it felt like a great deal. Grand Pigs is the main attraction, but because it was winter we stayed in a deluxe twin room in the accommodation building. Our stay was February 10, 2026. The room had recently been renovated and was very clean, with a spacious bed and a functional bathroom. The table and air purifier with wireless charging were subtle conveniences I appreciated, and there were plenty of amenities, so my six- and three-year-olds and I could manage one night without bringing much. Some facilities felt dated, especially the shared restrooms, which was disappointing. We were very satisfied with the large public bath. It's not especially big, but with so few guests we almost had it to ourselves. There was a sauna too, and although it was simple, it was comfortable and relaxing. The buffet was tasty and had a good range of food. The seasonings were more suited to adults than children, but it was nice that there was a separate children's buffet area. It had only about three types of food, but that was still fine with me. Three kinds of alcoholic drinks were free as well. The front desk staff were very kind and happy to help with requests like borrowing humidifiers, children's step stools, and kids' bathrobes. Guests can use Fantasia free of charge for two full days, which makes this good value. There's a discount coupon available through the end of March, and I'd like to arrange time off to use it again.