This is a big hotel, catering for couples, small families and large groups. On first impressions upon arriving at Hotel Sakurai, I was taken back by the size of the check-in lobby. The hotel operates a system whereby you can stop your car to unload and then the staff assist with your luggage, then you must park your car where you are directed in one of the sites 300 parking spots which are spread around the hotel. They will then drive you back to the entrance in a small bus.

What it appears is this was a Showa era hotel which has been updated and therefore has the opulence of that era without feeling dated.

At the check-in you and your fellow guests are greeted and after checking in you wait to be taken to your room by a member of staff dressed in a kimono.

When we arrived at the room we were pleased with the space and the views, we had two deluxe rooms in the annex tower to cater for the number of guests, seven of us in total. The rooms were clean and spacious with tea making facilities but no drinks other than water provided. The bathrooms had two modern toilets and a small bathroom with shower and bath. We didn't need the bath or shower as we used the facilities downstairs in the public spa.

We stayed half-board and therefore had access to the dining room which clearly doubles as a theatre as the stage at one end was hard to miss. The room was vast and had a huge array of food served as a self-serve buffet style for dinner, with plenty of variety for everyone including a dedicated children's section. Breakfast was the same.

The public baths are the real attraction here, as this is what Kusatsu is famous for, but do remember to bring your own towel. We were pleased with the facilities available and the ease of accessing them. We actually opted for the paid bath facilities, which means that all extras are provided such as shampoo, body soap, towels, hairbrushes, moisturiser etc. This was definitely worth the ¥1,000 for the seven of us for the entire stay, a real bargain if you ask me. This section of the bathing facilities was very quiet and offered a bit more privacy in which to shower and change, but in terms of the bath itself it was a bit smaller than the free section.

We very much enjoyed watching the Taiko drumming performance and Yumomi show which the hotel put on for it's guests each evening. This was a really nice benefit of staying in such a large hotel.

A couple of items we were not happy with, the main lights in the hotel room were fluorescent, not particularly warm or soft and could not be dimmed. There was only one lamp available too which we positioned in the childrens room so that they could get up to use the toilet in the night if necessary. Another complaint that my wife had was that the variety of food for kids didn't change from meal to meal and there were scant vegetable options for the kids other than cherry tomatoes which neither of mine will touch. I felt there was enough variety of foods in general but it wasn't clear in the two nights we stayed how frequently this was rotated.

The doors to the lift in the annex were very quick to close and did not benefit from infrared sensors to prevent the doors from closing on you as you walk through. This style of lift indicates the age of this part of the building but is not kind to elderly or children as they can't move that quickly.

Overall our stay at Hotel Sakurai was very enjoyable and we were pleased with the space and facilities on offer. The service was pleasant but given the size of the hotel and the number of staff we didn't get an opportunity to become familiar with them, which I would have preferred. The cost for our stay wasn't inexpensive, but in terms of what we received I believe it was worth it.

I would recommend this hotel to anyone who wanted to experience a hotel with good facilities in the centre of town.