Hotels With Spa in Aomori Prefecture, Japan

Check-in was very smooth. In fact, they allowed us to check in earlier - about 1 to 2 hours earlier, I think. The room was already ready, so they allocated it to us when we arrived. The room itself was rather small but functional and clean, so we don’t really have any complaints other than it being a bit small. I guess this is Japanese standards. The pricing is fairly more expensive than the inns across the road, perhaps because of the location and also because it is very new. The property itself has a very nice onsen. The female onsen had a lot of apples floating in it, which was a very nice touch to showcase Aomori apples. The front desk staff are very nice and very friendly. They also have staff who can speak Chinese. Not that I am Chinese, but I can speak some Chinese better than Japanese, which I can’t speak at all. Nevertheless, the staff could converse in English, or at least some basic English. There’s free yoga and some classes, but we didn’t utilise them as it’s not really useful for tourists who would rather spend time outside the hotel. This seems more suited for locals who want a short getaway, but still a very lovely touch. Breakfast is paid separately and does not come with the room, so there is no comment on that. The property provides Nespresso capsules in the room, and there is also a better Nespresso machine near the check-in counter. I also love that they provide water for free without having to pay extra. The lounge is available for everybody and overlooks the bridge. They provide some free snacks and drinks depending on the timing - different items in the morning and in the evening. That being said, there is no alcohol being served. Also, the coffee there is very bad. I don’t understand why they don’t put the Nespresso machine in the lounge since they have one at the lobby. Overall, everything was quite perfect for this hotel. In fact, the location was the most perfect part. Once you exit the train station, you enter an elevator that goes up to the hotel. Since it was winter, I was afraid I would need to drag my bags for a long time, but it’s right outside the exit after you tap your card and turn left. If I remember correctly, the elevator is right there and there is no need to go outside at all. However, there are only two elevators servicing the entire building, so there might be some waiting time. I would advise leaving earlier if you have a train to catch. The only reason this is not a full-star review is because I requested about a one-hour late checkout due to our train time, and they told us we needed to pay - if I remember correctly, ¥2,000 per hour. I felt they were very rigid about the 11 am checkout time. To be honest, even if they had given it to us, we probably wouldn’t have used it anyway, as we later decided to change our train time to leave Aomori, since there isn’t much to do here. Still, the rejection and inflexibility made us feel very uneasy and unwelcome. I think they could have handled this better by being less rigid and more human. So that’s minus points from us. After all, this is part of hospitality, and it doesn’t hurt.

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.

Dormy Inn chain hotels rarely disappoint me, and this still holds for Hirosaki one. It is close to Hirosaki Castle rather than Hirosaki Station, but the city has a circular bus that runs every 10 min., and the bus stop for the hotel is just across the road, so it’s not a problem for those who arrive by train. The room is moderate in size by Japan business hotel standard, but it has the added benefits of offering relaxation onsens. As usual, its onsens have both open and indoor pools. This hotel also has cold water pool and sauna. You get free Yakult in the morning, ice pops in the afternoon till late evening. I recommend.

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 staff always treats you politely. I had coffee after breakfast, but I thought I would have a paper cup and a lid.

It's true what they say about an inn with a spectacular view. The heavy rain that was falling when I checked in stopped the next morning, and I was able to gaze at the autumn-like sky and sea in front of my room for a while. It had been a while since I'd stayed in a Japanese-style room, and I was able to enjoy local ingredients for both dinner and breakfast, making for a truly enjoyable holiday in Aomori. It was also great that I was within walking distance of the prefectural aquarium. There was a live Tsugaru shamisen performance in the evening, which really immersed me in the romantic atmosphere of travel and exceeded my expectations. This is an inn that I would recommend to others.

Nice room, got a scenic view. They have a hotel-wide happy hour in the evening with sake and other local free-flow drinks – I probably drank a whole bottle of sake that someone else had. It's very convenient for walking to attractions, though there's nothing else around the hotel. No complaints about the hotel itself. The little souvenir shop is interesting. It met my expectations for a resort hotel.

The rooms are quite old, but the dining and the park that comes with it are beautiful. I highly recommend the foot bath in the park and the hot springs at the hotel; the views are incredible and definitely worth the price. The rooms themselves are just average, like a 3 or 4-star hotel, and there were even cobwebs in the bathroom. Given that it's also inconvenient to get to, requiring both a bullet train and a local train, it's generally not worth traveling all this way just for it.