3-Star Hotels in Akita Prefecture, Japan

Apologies for the rather low score on service but as this is an unmanned hotel, and I had no direct experience of utilising the help line, I could not rate any higher; I did bump into the cleaning ladies, who are doing an excellent job, on my early morning departure, and they were most kind. The hotel is right next to the train station and has its own storage lockers as well as a beautifully maintained lobby with excellent amenities, including vending machines and freely available teas and coffee. The room was well appointed and clean and there was no noise, as expected in a more rural area. The day before check-in, one will receive an email and will be asked to fill out a pre-check in procedure which will produce a QR code necessary when actually checking in at the machines upon arrival-there are no staff on site. This proved seamless for myself, but may be somewhat perplexing or frustrating for older folks or those, like myself, who are not so technologically literate. There is a help button for those who may need it. I was delighted to find that there are coin operated washing/drying machines available. Nearby, there are cafes and bakeries and everything worth seeing is within manageable walking distance. Walking a little further will bring one to some lovely shrines at the end of the town and on the opposite end a beautiful view overlooking the town and the cherry blossom lined river. Having missed cherry blossom season by a few weeks, the view at both sunrise and sunset was worn the extra steps. Do try the local udon, the set pictured was from Machiya Hall and was most delicious.

Although the hotel's decor is dated, the facilities are well-maintained and have everything a traditional onsen ryokan (hot spring inn) should have, and the equipment isn't outdated. The onsen has both indoor and outdoor sections, but in winter the outdoor temperature isn't high enough, so only the indoor onsen is available. The onsen has white floating debris and smells of sulfur, just like the Kaniba Onsen (crab farm) 😂. The hotel is family-run, but the owners haven't neglected service despite its age; on the contrary, you can feel their efforts to provide guests with the best and most up-to-date amenities in many details. I've been to many onsen ryokans in Japan, and while the facilities aren't as modern as some, they're comparable to established ones. Most importantly, I felt a strong sense of hospitality, which was very touching. I would definitely come back if I have the chance.

This hotel is right next to a underground rock concert shop. It has frequent tenants who played there or attend the concerts there. If you are driving , you won’t be able to get their parking slots as it mostly reserved for the regulars. The nearby parking lots charges 400 Y from 4pm-8am so if you arrive shortly after check in time and decide to head out early the next day, you may use the 2 carparks that is right beside the hotel. If you can’t make it in time, the hotel cheapest parking option is behind Lawson where they have monthly season parking lots. It’s 600 yen per night from 3pm to 10am. room wise, price to value is below average probably becos of high demand in the vicinity. As for cleanliness, can be better improve. My aircon filter and air filter machine was producing really moldy and smell air , probably from previous guests who sweated in the room. Was a big turn off lucky I came during autumn, can just open the window to get cold air in.

Previous night was a happy one. Stayed a further 2 nights. Housekeeping staff did an excellent job. So did the front office and other staff. The restaurant staff were also helpful with our enquiries and went out of their way to give us advice. Unfortunately upon check out there was an unusual room charge transaction to our debit card supposedly fm Richmond hotel. Both front office and my side could not solve the discrepancy. The hotel provided all help necessary for me to resolve the matter in due course. Hopefully the matter will be resolved eventually or we will end up with paying a further 500 sgd for our stay.

I stayed here from 21 April to 24 April and it was a highlight of my trip. The hotel offers very refined dining experience; instead of a standard kaiseuki, dinner was served course by course. This allowed us to slowly enjoy the incredibly fresh, regional ingredients. It was easily one of the best meals I've had. The onsen is pristine and offers a truly serene atmosphere, facing a lovely garden. Since I visited in late April, I was lucky enough to enjoy the view of cherry blossoms while soaking - a spectacular and relaxing experience. Most importantly, the staff's dedication to service is world class. I realised after checking out that I left my earphones behind. The team was kind enough to courier them directly to my next hotel. I am so thankful for their help. If you want a stay that combines beautiful views with genuine care, this is the place to book.

This place is extraordinarily overpriced for what it is. I expected much more amenities and service. Although the staff were friendly and courteous, the place was fairly bland. The onsen was mediocre and there were no refreshments afterwards unless you wanted to go to a vending machine. Even Dormy Inn provides refreshments after the onsen but at Towado Hotel having to pay for them and not even the nice ones is ridiculous when you have to pay so much to stay here. The same for the relaxation chair. It is coin-operated not complementary. I would not recommend staying here if you’re looking for a luxury experience because although you pay for that, it’s definitely nowhere near that. Our Western style room was very basic, and it just didn’t have those special finishing touches I had hoped for. 

Hot springs and food were very good. I don't know that the refrigerator in the room is turned off, and if you look closely, it says, but I was grateful if you could say a word at the front desk. I thought I was going to cool my drink and take a bath, but I noticed it was too wet.

As luxurious as one can expect. Beautiful place in a secluded natural environment with lavish service and delicious food. The bath are very well prepared and the staff is extremely kind and attentive. It is a hard ask but it would be nice to have some western options at breakfast. But of course this is a Japanese traditional inn yet these options would feel even more luxurious. Some of the decoration feels a bit either dated, kitsch or not being harmonious, I think they need a redesign of the furnitures are it looks more like an assemblage than a harmonious selection of decoration and furnitures. It’s a little on the weird side even sometimes! But the bedding is exceptional. You will have a great sleep at this stay!

After leaving Akita Station, I walked for quite a while (the path was wide and easy to navigate), but the location is absolutely superb. Senso Park is diagonally across, and the Prefectural Museum is right next door. The next morning, I was able to take a stroll in Senso Park while the air was fresh, and then the museum opened at 10 AM, so I popped in for a quick 5-minute look around. The room wasn't huge, but I was surprisingly able to fully open my 28-inch suitcase. There was also a metal rack in the room, perfect for hanging clothes worn during the day but not needing to be washed immediately. The front desk thoughtfully provided a Chinese version of the hotel guide, which detailed the onsen opening hours, free ramen availability, breakfast times, Wi-Fi, and which floors had vending machines, microwaves, and ice makers. It was incredibly considerate! Akita city itself honestly doesn't have much to do, and shops close early in the evening, which is where the advantage of a hot spring hotel really shines! After soaking in the onsen (there's an outdoor one too!), you can enjoy free massage chairs (super large, luxurious, and comfortable). In the evening, there are free ice pops (choose from 4 flavors), and from 9:30 PM to 11 PM, there's free late-night ramen on the 1st floor (it's incredibly delicious! Just needs a little extra water as Japanese ramen can be a bit salty, but the flavor is truly excellent!). In the morning, Yakult is available for free on the onsen floor (from 5 AM to 10 AM). I stayed for two nights, and my favorite and most anticipated part of each day was returning to the hotel in the evening to shower, soak in the onsen, sit in the massage chairs, and eat ice pops.

This inn has a large hot spring. The hot spring is indoors, but the building has a high ceiling and is made up of thick log pillars, giving the large bath a great atmosphere. There is a restaurant inside the building that houses the hot spring facilities. The restaurant also has a high ceiling and is very comfortable. There is a wide selection of sake from Akita Prefecture, and the food was very delicious. There is a wide selection of Chinese food, and I had the green pepper and pork stir fry, which was very tasty. The breakfast buffet was very filling, with a wide variety of Japanese and Western dishes, as well as local ingredients.