Hotels With spa in Aomori Prefecture, Japan

Right above Aomori Station, this hotel's location is super convenient, with direct access to JR from the lobby. It's often fully booked, so the hot spring is usually quite busy no matter when you go, but they do have real apples in the onsen! There's a hot bath and a slightly cooler one, both very comfortable. The spa, yoga, and dining are mostly extra charges, but there are plenty of activities. The rooms don't have bathtubs, which makes sense since everyone's expected to use the large hot spring. The facilities and equipment are quite new, the bed is very comfortable, and you can see all the best parts of Aomori from your window, including the bay and the bridge.

Service was good. There was a staff who is stationed at the entrance, checking with guest who arrived by car. They will ask for your name, provided clear instructions of where to park. Unfortunately, I have accidentally left the lights in the car switched on. A few moments later when I was doing my check-in, the front desk staff quickly informed me about it. The facilities are good. Food is really good, very different from the other Hoshino resorts in Aomori that I have stayed. At KAI Tsugaru, it is Kaiseki instead of the usual buffet style. The staff took pains to explain and share the reason for each dish that was served. There are only 41 traditionally-furnished and generously-sized rooms offering both Western and Japanese-style designs which gives a very unique and dedicated experience as compared to other hotels which has many rooms.

It's best to be prepared for power outages. Public toilets and water rooms are standard features of traditional Japanese B&Bs. The Japanese breakfast is good. Please note that the check-in time is before 9 pm. If you can't arrive, be sure to contact the owner in advance. The B&B is on the mountain, so be careful when driving at night. There are no street lights.

I tried the Japanese-style room. The location is very close to central Hirosaki, and there's a shuttle service to JR Hirosaki every morning, though you need to book it in advance. The open-air onsen was a novel experience! After soaking, there were ice cream and ramen available. The front desk offers fully self-service check-in and check-out, which was very convenient, and the service was excellent.

Although I chose this ryokan as alternative place but it turned out it is my best stay so far. It is not far from Kuroishi and it is accessible by public transport. Room is very spacious and has both a bathroom and a toilet. Onsen is good. It has both indoor and outdoor ones. Usually it is not busy. Food was great both dinner and breakfast. Free flow of both alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks are also included. Very generous. Staffs are very friendly, although their English are very limited. Extra 150 yen per person for onsen tax. Cash term only. Cashless payment is available.

Location is far from city centre, but the view is nice. It takes more time especially during winter. Staff can’t really speak English, but tried their best to assist. As we stayed during the new year period, many shops were not open. Cleaning was daily and everything was changed. There is also a daily performance at 8.30pm.

Overall, I'm pretty satisfied. The transportation here is much more convenient than Oirase. Most of the hotel's facilities and activities come with a fee. Also, the dinner menu was exactly the same for both nights. We experienced an earthquake during our stay, and the hotel staff seemed quite accustomed to it. Thankfully, the front desk offered excellent Chinese-speaking service. P.S. We registered for the hotel's airport pick-up service, but no car ever showed up to get us. In an airport where even taxis are scarce, this was a really bad experience. However, given the attentive Chinese-speaking service we received later, I'll let it slide.

The staff always treats you politely. I had coffee after breakfast, but I thought I would have a paper cup and a lid.

The reserved room did not have a private bathroom, so I spent 7,000 yen at the front desk to upgrade to a room with a private bathroom. The quality of breakfast and dinner is also inferior to that of the nearby Jokura Hotel. All in all, apart from maintaining the traditional hot spring culture, Suantang Hot Spring really has nothing to attract people.