Uozu Manten Hotel Ekimae

The staff were polite and hardworking, and breakfast was good. The room was small, and I wasn’t sure it was clean, even though the towels always looked bright white. The onsen water didn’t feel therapeutic to me, just hot at 42 degrees.

There’s free parking, but spaces are limited and it’s first come, first served. You can enter from either the front or the back, depending on which street you come from. The onsen was nice, and there’s free supper at 9:30pm for the first 50 people, a big portion of regular ramen. For breakfast, you can pick Japanese or Western style. The Japanese one tasted good, except I’m not used to raw fish.

There’s an onsen for hotel guests, with a shower area, cold bath, outdoor bath, and sauna, all included in the room rate. Free ramen at night was nice after a soak, and there’s a free coffee machine at reception on the first floor. The hotel is close to Uozu Station and makes a good base for heading to Kurobe gorge railway station. It’s good value compared with hotels in bigger, more popular cities. The rooms are a bit older but clean and well maintained, and there’s a desk and proper chair if you’re working. The tiny TV tucked in the corner isn’t great for watching your favorite show. Breakfast starts at 06:30 and is basic, with a choice of Japanese or Western. Bread, rice, and miso soup are buffet style and all you can eat.

Breakfast was included, with a choice of Western or Japanese. The hot spring bath was very nice, and the hotel was convenient and affordable, ¥15,500 for a deluxe twin.