Hotele Hot Springs w: Fukushima Prefecture, Japan

I had a fantastic stay at this hotel! The first great point is the proximity to the Fukushima Station. When I arrived, my check-in process was handled by the Manager, Matsuda-san. He was very friendly and warm. The room I stayed in was decently-sized, giving me enough room to walk around with a large suitcase and other bags on the floor. A suitcase stand and a small stool are provided. The beige wallpaper provided a nice contrast to the dark carpet. The controls for the room were absolutely fantastic - I could, for instance, adjust the brightness of the main light and the strength of the bathroom exhaust fan. The bathroom was slightly cramped, but I managed. An alarm clock is also provided for guests. The default blanket in the room was far too hot; even with the heating turned off, I felt like I was being roasted while I was in bed with the blanket covering me (and this was in winter!). I didn't like the default pillow either, it was too hard. On my last night, I requested a thinner blanket and softer pillow. Thankfully, the hotel was able to provide them, and I slept much better after using the new blanket and pillow. Funnily enough, the mattress was also quite hard, but it didn't give me any problems. The sound insulation was fantastic, and the cleaning staff were super quiet! I almost couldn't tell that they were outside my room doing their work! I also very likely had considerate Japanese guests on my floor, hence the peace. Nearby the hotel is S-Pal, where you can buy all sorts of prepared meals (if you're lucky, you can find a few vegan options). There's also a large pharmacy, and there are many convenience stores around. The main complaint I have is that the check-out time @ 10:00 is too early. I think 12:00 would be a better time. I did not have breakfast at the hotel, nor did I use any of the facilities, so I have no comment on those. I definitely recommend Hotel Route-Inn Grand Fukushima Ekimae to others, and I will definitely consider staying at Route-Inn hotels in other parts of Japan! Side Notes: (1) If you have large luggage and arrive at the Fukushima Station, you'll have to take the elevator at the west exit, and when you reach the ground floor you'll see another elevator about 20 metres in front of you (slightly to the left). This second elevator will take you to the underground passage, which you can use to get to the east side of the station, where Route-Inn Grand Fukushima is located. Do note that there is a rear entrance to the hotel (next to a public parking lot), and this will save you from walking to the front of the hotel with all your luggage. (2) Vegan options in Fukushima are unfortunately extremely limited, but you can find some vegan tofu bars and a few other items at 7-Eleven...but be sure to use Google Lens to translate the ingredients!

I was very impressed with my stay. The service was excellent at every point, from the valet parking staff and the front desk to the restaurant staff who provided exceptional service. The Superior room was spacious, had a stunning view, and I especially loved that there was a massage chair in the room. The common area facilities were complete, including the onsen and foot bath. The highlight was the free ice cream before 8 pm in front of the onsen, and the seating area with a view while enjoying ice cream was fantastic. The only minor drawback was that the bathroom in the room had a slightly unpleasant smell. I hope the hotel will check into this and improve it. If this can be fixed, it would be a perfect stay, and I would definitely return again in the future.

I loved staying at this Ryokan!! Unfortunately the main bath was under construction when we went but we still got to have a couples private bath and it was still very beautiful! The food is good, there is a complimentary “happy hour” and the staff are very friendly and warm! It was a fantastic experience overall and I highly recommend! I definitely would come back here again! ❤️

The facilities were excellent, the staff provided superb service, and I had a very comfortable stay. I will definitely come back at the end of the year.

This hotel is truly perfect for a relaxing getaway. The atmosphere is peaceful and the food is delicious. However, it's best to arrive after 2 PM, and you should eat lunch beforehand if you're not driving yourself, as you won't find food available during that time. The rooms are very spacious and located right by the stream. The onsen bath is beautiful, and there's an open-air room with an indescribable ambiance. There's also a large, affordable convenience store on-site. Plus, free drinks are offered from check-in time until evening.

The hotel is very good with great proximity to the ski  place. The room is clean and cosy with great views. And the onsen is very good that it had long opening hours, we can go after the ski to relax.  However, it would be better if the guest had a choice of whether the room can be made everyday or after we left. And it will be even better if more variety of restaurants/ cur-sine  can be provided rather than just buffet.

This getaway was exactly what I wanted. Traditional, immersive, comfortable, accomodating. The staff came and greeted us in the car park, the dinner and breakfast was amazing, delicious, adventurous. And the onsen on the roof was perfect! The staff thoroughly explained their processes. I spoke some japanese and they spoke only some english but they were very accomating with us and welcoming. I would highly recommend and its also not far from town either. It snowed a little the night we stayed and it was so magical! We had our own private onsen at our room but the others in the ryokan are even better and available to be private, just lock door when your using.

They offer a free shuttle service to Inawashiro Station, which is a great plus. Everything at the hotel was excellent; both breakfast and dinner were plentiful and delicious. Although the facilities are a bit dated, they seem to be well-maintained. The only downside was that the water temperature in the indoor public bath was too low, and my skin felt itchy after using it.

Stayed around Aizuwakamatsu City because it was the lowest price among the inns with hot springs. It was close to the city and the open-air bath was very comfortable. I enjoyed taking a bath because there were dozens of shampoos. It was about 7,000 yen per person with a plan that included breakfast. However, there are no convenience stores or restaurants nearby, so be careful that you need to get off to the foot.

Room: The room was spacious and clean. I especially appreciated the heated floors! Parking: There are two parking options: one on-site and another at Aizubukeyashiki, with a convenient shuttle bus provided for the latter. Food: The food was excellent, with a great variety of local dishes to sample. View: Our room overlooked a graveyard, so there wasn't much of a scenic view. Onsen: The view of the night sky from the onsen was absolutely stunning.