Hotel Towadaso

The room was old-fashioned and spacious, but the showerhead was awful and the pipe beneath the washbasin leaked. The food was so-so, and I couldn’t finish it. This place definitely needs renovations.

The location is convenient, very close to the bus station. It’s an older hotel, but it has most of what people need, including an in-house souvenir shop. The rooms have nice pajamas or yukatas, and there’s lots of decoration that some people may enjoy. The bathroom is very small. There’s soft music playing in the hall, but I’d rather not have it. This isn’t the first hotel in Japan I’ve been to with constant music, and to me it’s unnecessary noise. The staff barely speak English. Breakfast and dinner are served in a large hall, so it doesn’t feel cozy.

The onsen design really impressed me. The European-inspired bathing area and the Japanese-style one both tell the story of Lake Towada, from how it formed to the shape it has today. Once you learn what’s behind the design, it’s quite something. The hotel itself has a grand interior that brings to mind Japan’s Showa era, around the 1980s.

End of October 2025. There’s ample free parking if you’re driving, and the room was spacious. The facilities are a bit old, but that’s okay with me since the hotel has been around for so many years. It has a big public Onsen and is near the bus terminal, ferry terminal, and park beside the lake. The walk to the park is beautiful.