Guest User
November 30, 2021
I was hoping to go to Isobe Onsen in Gunma, but there were no vacancies in the Japanese-Western style room I wanted (Japanese-style rooms not available due to circumstances), so I expanded my search to Ikaho Onsen, Karuizawa, Nagatoro, etc., but now that the coronavirus situation has calmed down, everyone is so active that I was almost wiped out. At a loss, I looked at Google Maps and suddenly Shikinoyu Onsen Hotel Heritage, which did not appear on the reservation site, popped up. There was a vacancy in a Japanese-Western style room that fit within my budget, and it even had a hot spring, which was a dream come true. There is a high-rise hotel and a separate building, sports facilities, and a half-sized golf course, which makes me feel uneasy about the lingering scent of the bubble era. The address is Kumagaya City, but it is located on the hills on the outskirts. First of all, due to the location, I didn't have high expectations for the hot spring, but the water was surprisingly good. I ended up using a day-trip hot spring facility that seemed to be added a little away from the hotel, and although there was a roof, it was exposed to the wind so it was cold at night. However, they actually rented out winter coats near the front desk, so there was nothing I could do. The source water is low at 20℃, so it must be a four-step combo of heating, water addition, circulation, and chlorine addition, but the chloride spring was quite salty. There were many users on this day, including a group of children, but I could hardly smell the chlorine and I could really feel the hot spring. I had refrained from bathing in hot springs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so I was glad to have a hot spring here for the first time in two years. Currently, the mixed bathing and open-air baths where you can wear swimsuits are closed. There is an observation bath on the top floor of the hotel, but it is not a hot spring. It is easy to go up by elevator. I used it for a morning bath, and the view was good and I could see Mt. Tsukuba clearly. However, considering the size of the hotel, both the faucets and bathtubs were small, and I felt that even if both were combined, it would not be enough when it was crowded. Fortunately, there were only a few people there before dinner this time, so it was comfortable. Also, depending on the date, you can only take one of the baths, so the timing was good. The room was clean and a fairly ordinary Japanese-Western room. The beds were Simmons, and the Japanese-style room guests had Muatsu futons. Drinking water in plastic bottles is provided, and internet and Wi-Fi are also available. The hotel is 12 stories high, so the view is good. I could see Mt. Tsukuba because it was facing the same direction as the bath, but here there is a balcony where I could go outside, so I could see it directly, not through the window, even though it was cold. There are illuminations at this time of year, so I don't often have a chance to look down from the balcony, so I felt like I got something out of it. For meals, I usually use the Chinese and creative Japanese restaurants in the hotel, but on this day, reservations were good, so I had a buffet dinner that appears during busy periods such as Golden Week and New Year's holidays. I don't have a very good impression of buffets (and it's the current situation), but it was already full when I made the reservation, so I had no choice. Of course, I had to wear a mask, but there were plastic gloves at the entrance to wear when serving the food. However, the menu was not to be underestimated, and the roast beef, which was advertised as the main attraction, was delicious and I had to have more than one serving. Although it is a standard, the sushi only has three types of toppings: red tuna, yellowtail, and shrimp, but the toppings are large and delicious. The food, including the tempura, was freshly made and everything was delicious. They also prepared soba noodles, various pastas, and side dishes for children, so it was well thought out. By the way, breakfast was a flat-rate buffet. Therefore, the guests who were divided into three places for dinner gathered in one breakfast venue in the morning, so it was crowded depending on the time of day. There was nothing special, but there was a lot to choose from and the food was constantly replenished, so it didn't leave a shabby impression. There were all kinds of guests, including families, groups, couples, and single people, but it seemed that sports-related groups were using a separate building, so there was no mixing. It was impressive, so all the staff were quick and polite and the service was pleasant. I thought it was great that an inn of this size was able to survive the COVID-19 pandemic, but I wonder if it was thanks to this hospitality. It seems to have a certain reputation in the sports industry, so maybe that's why? Finally, the downside is that you have to go up and down between the hotel and the hot springs. Although the hotel is barrier-free, it is difficult to bring a wheelchair into the hot springs. The passage is semi-open, so day-trippers can wear their outdoor clothing from the start, so there is no problem, but if overnight guests wear their indoor clothing during the cold season, they will get cold when they get back. Also, the full-day rate for day-trippers is a bit high, and even the cheaper evening rate seems still expensive. It seems a shame as the hot springs are so good, but since this hotel is a resort, the price setting may be reasonable in a sense.
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