"We chose to spend New Year's Eve here with my wife, and this hotel truly has a unique charm and comfort, thanks to its rainforest surroundings and hot springs. Inside the hotel, you can leisurely stroll along rainforest paths, and from your room's balcony, you can soak in a hot spring pool. The constant chirping of countless birds and the soothing sound of the stream, day and night, create a peaceful atmosphere.
The hotel is definitely not luxurious or bustling, but it offers a welcoming, home-like ambiance. When we arrived, an elegant lady greeted us at the entrance, helped us with our luggage, and directed us to parking. Her demeanor made it hard to believe she was a concierge staff member. During the New Year's Eve celebration, there was a ceremony where a jar of wine, buried in the forest, was unearthed and personally uncorked and shared by the hotel's general manager. That's when we realized the lady who greeted us was indeed the general manager! A hotel where the GM acts as a concierge, and does it so naturally, must be special!
However, the hotel also had some... unique staff members. For our New Year's Eve dinner, we ordered a roasted suckling pig. After waiting forty minutes with no sign of it, a seemingly authoritative male waiter told us it would take a bit longer, about ten minutes. With it being New Year's Eve and so many people, I completely understood. But then we waited for another hour. Fortunately, we finally ate it in 2025, and we were still happy. When we checked out, a female manager gave us a discount, but that male waiter seemed displeased. The next day, for New Year's dinner, I still wanted to try the hotel restaurant. Upon entering, we ran into the same male waiter from last year, who said there were no tables and we'd have to wait twenty minutes. I asked if the food would still be slow, and he said it would be very slow. So, we decided to get a taxi from the lobby entrance to eat outside the hotel. A white-haired older 'bellhop' who was helping us get a taxi said, 'If you want Li family cuisine, we have excellent food here.' I said, 'You don't have any space!' He replied, 'Come, come, I'll arrange something for you.' He led us in, and a table was immediately about to open up! I could tell he was definitely a leader!
The story doesn't end there. The next day, for breakfast, the host at the entrance was again that same male waiter we had seemingly offended. He tried to seat us by a pillar! Even though there were clearly seats by the window! We didn't bother arguing and just sat ourselves at a window seat. There was nobody there!
I've rambled on for so long, but it just goes to show that while an entire team strives, they can often be held back by a few individuals.
I'll definitely come back to this hotel for the hot springs if I get the chance. Why bother going to Japan for a hot spring?"