Kameya Hotel

We arrived around 5pm to check in and were surprised by how empty such a large hotel felt. It seems like it was built for conferences. We were also surprised there was no dinner option or recommendation, so we found a restaurant on Google Maps and asked the hotel to book it. The same thing happened the next night. Breakfast had no choices either, just a large bento with Japanese food, and there were no breakfast places nearby. Our room was lovely and spacious, with a sea view, large beds and a deep tub that was already filling when we arrived. The women’s public baths were quite small, though there were only a few other guests.

My girlfriend and I stayed in the Concept Suite - Horuai, and it was an amazing experience. The room was huge, beautifully designed and had two private onsens. We had traditional Japanese breakfast and lunch made with local ingredients, all super fresh and tasty. This holiday will stay in our memories forever.

It’s a fairly large hotel, but it has a boutique feel. The rooms don’t seem old-fashioned, while the lobby has a classy, traditional look. Our bathtub used onsen water, so we basically had our own private onsen in the room.

On the special floor called “HOURAI,” all the guest rooms are on the upper 11th floor, have ocean views and come with hot spring water in the room. It’s a lovely way to spend private time looking out at the sea and enjoying the hot springs and good food morning and evening. The lounge has the all-inclusive “Ryuguen Sauna” at no extra charge, with drinks and other things provided. You can also enjoy the 1200-year-old Yunohama Onsen water in the lounge. Dinner features seasonal ingredients from Shonai, Yamagata. It’s a relaxing getaway for adults. This long-established inn has been in business for 210 years and is said to be an ideal place where hermits live.