Hotels With spa in Aomori Prefecture, Japan

Hotel Relabo boasts an excellent location right next to the JR station. You can take an elevator directly from the station's third floor, via a connecting passage, to the hotel's reception on the fourth floor – super convenient! A highlight of the hotel is its hot springs, and they also offer yoga activities, though we didn't participate since we don't speak Japanese. Guests staying at the hotel can enjoy the hot springs for free. Female guests are escorted into the bathhouse by staff, which feels very safe. After a relaxing soak, you can grab an ice pop or head to the observation deck to enjoy some biscuits and apple juice while taking in the views – truly the essence of a laid-back vacation. Our room was very comfortable and quiet. The restaurant staff were exceptionally friendly during breakfast, which was Western-style and absolutely delicious.

I tried the Japanese-style room. The location is very close to central Hirosaki, and there's a shuttle service to JR Hirosaki every morning, though you need to book it in advance. The open-air onsen was a novel experience! After soaking, there were ice cream and ramen available. The front desk offers fully self-service check-in and check-out, which was very convenient, and the service was excellent.

Service was good. There was a staff who is stationed at the entrance, checking with guest who arrived by car. They will ask for your name, provided clear instructions of where to park. Unfortunately, I have accidentally left the lights in the car switched on. A few moments later when I was doing my check-in, the front desk staff quickly informed me about it. The facilities are good. Food is really good, very different from the other Hoshino resorts in Aomori that I have stayed. At KAI Tsugaru, it is Kaiseki instead of the usual buffet style. The staff took pains to explain and share the reason for each dish that was served. There are only 41 traditionally-furnished and generously-sized rooms offering both Western and Japanese-style designs which gives a very unique and dedicated experience as compared to other hotels which has many rooms.

We thought it's going to be fresh in August up the mountain but it wasn't. Very hot and without air-conditioning you'll be suffering. Rooms are tiny and it barely fit 4 people. Road to get there is rough so make sure you have an off road car (the last 5 min only). The onsen is insanely beautiful especially the women's. Food was pre-served and left out in the heat to stand. Didn't look particularly appealing. Shared bathrooms.

Although I chose this ryokan as alternative place but it turned out it is my best stay so far. It is not far from Kuroishi and it is accessible by public transport. Room is very spacious and has both a bathroom and a toilet. Onsen is good. It has both indoor and outdoor ones. Usually it is not busy. Food was great both dinner and breakfast. Free flow of both alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks are also included. Very generous. Staffs are very friendly, although their English are very limited. Extra 150 yen per person for onsen tax. Cash term only. Cashless payment is available.

The hotel is directly opposite the aquarium and next to Asamushi Onsen. It's a 5-minute walk, and after a soak, there's a market selling all sorts of apple juice and fruit souvenirs. There weren't many guests staying at the hotel, probably due to the heavy snowfall in Aomori. Both breakfast and dinner were Japanese set meals. The sukiyaki and sashimi were excellent. It was just us and one other couple dining. In the evening, there was a Nebuta performance and sanshin (three-stringed instrument) music. Even with so few guests, the performers were incredibly dedicated and put on a great show. The large public bath is on an upper floor facing the sea, and the island and bay opposite are beautiful. The open-air bath also has two barrel-shaped tubs.

Overall, I'm pretty satisfied. The transportation here is much more convenient than Oirase. Most of the hotel's facilities and activities come with a fee. Also, the dinner menu was exactly the same for both nights. We experienced an earthquake during our stay, and the hotel staff seemed quite accustomed to it. Thankfully, the front desk offered excellent Chinese-speaking service. P.S. We registered for the hotel's airport pick-up service, but no car ever showed up to get us. In an airport where even taxis are scarce, this was a really bad experience. However, given the attentive Chinese-speaking service we received later, I'll let it slide.

Spacious clean room and comfortable beds, nice staff both at reception and restaurant, delicious half board meals, ample parking, will come back again for sure.

The reserved room did not have a private bathroom, so I spent 7,000 yen at the front desk to upgrade to a room with a private bathroom. The quality of breakfast and dinner is also inferior to that of the nearby Jokura Hotel. All in all, apart from maintaining the traditional hot spring culture, Suantang Hot Spring really has nothing to attract people.