The best hotel of this trip! I really wanted to try a Japanese hot spring ryokan (traditional Japanese inn), so I chose Kaga Onsen. I heard it's a once-prosperous hot spring resort, so the whole town was very quiet and sparsely populated. After arriving at Kaga Onsen Station on the JR train, you'll see many hotel shuttle buses in the parking lot near the KFC. The drivers were very helpful, assisting with luggage. After about a 20-minute ride, we arrived at our accommodation.
Upon arriving at the hotel, staff guided us to take off our shoes before checking in. The entire hotel features tatami flooring, so we wore the provided Japanese-style socks throughout our stay. The room was very spacious, with a private cypress wood bathtub, an open-air shower, a massage chair, a separate indoor shower with a bathtub, a separate toilet, a dining area, a large L-shaped sofa, and two balconies. Each room was designed with privacy in mind, and a dedicated hostess was available to assist guests from check-in to check-out. The hotel staff didn't speak much English, perhaps because they mainly cater to local guests, but each staff member used Google Translate to assist with communication.
The hotel's women's and men's baths each have one indoor pool and two outdoor pools. The indoor pools are the warmest and contain the original hot spring water. Perhaps because it wasn't peak season, although almost all the rooms were full, the public baths were practically empty on both visits. I enjoyed all three baths by myself – a wonderful experience!
Besides the facilities and service, this stay was for one night and two nights. If I'd give the accommodations an 80, the food a 100! Dinner was kaiseki cuisine, and I had incredibly delicious Wagyu beef, better than anything I've had at restaurants. It's true that fresh ingredients often only need simple cooking; even just boiling it in the broth was so delicious, melting in your mouth. The sashimi was also fresh and succulent. After a satisfying meal, it was time to soak in the hot springs!
It was truly a rejuvenating hot spring stay!
Original TextTranslation provided by Google
