Onyado Shikishimakan Kotohira Hotspring
713-1 Kawanishi, Kotohiracho, Kotohira, Kotohira, Japan, 766-0001
Travel Date: March 2024, 1 night
Location: It is a bit of a walk from the station, so you can also choose to take a taxi if you are carrying a huge luggage. It is located in the middle of the restaurants and stores, and very accessible to those going to hike in Konpirasan.
Check-in: Upon arrival, you need to remove your shoes and store it in the shoes room. Keep your socks or check if they will provide you with socks in the yukata area.
Lobby in tatami floor mats, so you need to be careful.
They have free tea and coffee counter that you can enjoy in the lobby.
Check-in is at 3pm, I came back at 4pm, and the 4 private onsens are already occupied. Ensure to take a yukata and the bathrobe from area below. While observing others, they use the gray bathroom when going to the onsen and some wear them during dinner.
Then, you can use the yukata when going to dinner. Bring another robe provided in your room to warm you when going out at night or early morning.
Room (double room): It was amazing. The lobby, hallway, and room are all on the tatami floor. From the main door, you have another 3 doors, to your toilet, bathroom and room.
They have a small confectionary bun prepared in my room. I got more snacks and tea after dinner.
The television has no English channel, but there is no need for that. For sure you will keep yourself busy in trying out their onsen.
If you still have time to play and create your own coffee, do it with their Kalita coffee set.
Each item you see inside the room are carefully chosen.
Dinner: Check Google or Agoda reviews where you can read negative feedback on late availability of food and cleanliness of the area. And to counter that I guess you just need to plan.
Thus, for dinner I choose to get 5:30p over the 8:00p schedule. By the time I arrive, the restaurant is almost occupied. Gladly, they have made me sit alone at my table, facing the windows. Even though there are a lot of people, my space has still privacy.
Just the same as other full course meals, please understand that the food will come in small portions in sequence.
As the food arrives one by one and in small little ceramic plates, this brings me back to my childhood when you used to play bahay-bahayan.
For the appetizer, we had: oyster chawanmushi (teacup steamed egg custard), filled with mackerel, takenoko (bamboo shoots) and fuki (butterbur) serve with white dressing
Followed by sashimi: sayori (Japanese halfbeak), hiragai, ashirai nanohana serve with Tosa soy sauce and seaweed salt.
On fire is Japanese black beef koji soup pot. I also ordered sochu for drinks. I did not know that this is stronger than sake. So sochu is distilled alcohol and can be higher than 25-37%.
Next is teriyaki shrimp vinegar lotus root.
Olive-grilled young chicken:
Next is wild vegetable rice, pickles and miso soup.
For dessert, wagashi (traditional Japanese sweet) and fruits with lemon jelly, and tea.
Here are some alcohol bottles at the restaurant hallway.
Onsen: As a highlight activity in this hotel is visiting the onsen. They have prepared the towels in a basket in your room, and just bring it in the onsen.
With less than 30 mins of waiting, you'll get a chance to try 1 or their 4 private onsen rooms. Take note that they also have public onsen areas.
In the end, I was able to try 3 out of 4 onsen rooms. I have been to gan (rock) before dinner, kai (cypress) before sleeping and chikku (bamboo) before breakfast.
They have a lot of seating areas by the lobby and by the rest area near the bath. They also offer free water, tea, and coffee in the resting areas.
My first try for an experience is in Hakone Yuryo Onsen in 2019. This time in Shikishimakan Kotohira Hot spring, I've seen young families enjoying the onsen experience. While relaxing for less than 45 mins in every onsen, I hear laughters and cries of the kids.
There is also a father and son bonding as early as 5am.
After taking a bath, go to the rest area where you can get popsicle sticks in the evening and Yakult in the morning.
Amenities: After the onsen activity, try to roam around the lobby to play some puzzle and visit the shop.
They have a souvenir shop that is 24hrs open. You can get cheaper socks compared to those being sold on the steps to Konpira.
Breakfast: bath-blown radish with Dengaku miso sauce, roast pork, ishimochi nanbanzuke (marinated fried fish), beef Konpira burdock
There are a lot of food selection in buffet, like salad, udon, dried fish, miso soup, vegetables, rice, etc.
For dessert, there's orange, apple, pine apple fruit cocktail.
Check-out: After breakfast, I did a quick walk around the hotel. I was able to use their yukata outside, I had their socks and there were traditional slippers available as well.
Recommendation: After a long hike at Konpirasan, staying here in Onyado Shikishimakan Kotohira Hotspring is a good choice. Good dinner and breakfast. Very fun and good private onsen experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment