PPockyBackpackDuring winter, the road for the last 800 meters before reaching the hotel is closed, and you must walk in. Guests need to park at Okama Onsen first. Before arrival, you are required to inform the hotel of your check-in time so that a staff member can guide you on foot to the property. The staff will help carry your luggage, but if you have many bags, it’s best to inform them in advance.
The highlight of this stay is definitely the walk to the hotel. You walk deep into the forest along towering walls of snow on both sides, and eventually discover the onsen hidden in the woods. It feels truly special and secluded.
The lobby area is not very large, and the number of staff is quite limited, but overall the service was very good. Dinner was served at a counter bar, and the chef was extremely friendly and spoke good English. The receptionist at the lobby, who is from Taiwan, speaks English, Chinese, and Japanese fluently. She explained everything clearly, helped carry our luggage on the way out, and even assisted with clearing snow off our car.
Personally, I found the public onsen area to be a bit disappointing. The floor was icy and slippery, which felt somewhat unsafe. However, the private onsen in the room was excellent — very private, spacious for an in-room bath, with a beautiful view and wonderfully fragrant mineral water.
The room itself was spacious, quiet, and peaceful. Mobile signal does not work inside the hotel, but the hotel provides Wi-Fi, which was stable and fast.
Both breakfast and dinner were very good, and the hotel responded to emails and accommodated our special dietary requests, which we really appreciated.
The only regret was that the snow was extremely deep during our visit, making it hard to fully see and imagine the surrounding scenery.
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