Onyado Toho — Hotel in Aizuwakamatsu

Arriving at the hotel on the free shuttle from the station, our first impression wasn't good to say the least. The exterior is drab and in need of a spruce up. On entering we were more assured since the lobby floor is updated and quite bright, with a fine artificial flower arrangement.|Check in was a breeze and the front staff helpful and cheery. Our room was on the 5th floor and our mouths dropped on entry. We must have had the smallest twin in the hotel and it, too, was in desperate need of refurbishment. The carpet was quite stained and the bathroom tiny. We soon made our way to the onsen baths on the 3rd floor. Our spirits were again lifted. The interior bath is not very big but the main attraction is the rotenburo (outdoor bath). There is also a sauna. There is only one bath towel and one hand towel provided in the room so these must be taken to the baths and then back to the room.|The baths men and women use switch depending on the time of use. Afternoon/evening and morning. The baths are clearly marked. As with (virtually) all Japanese hotels/ryokan, amenities and yukata are provided.|On the first night we had the buffet dinner. Great selection of food and wide selection of drinks. Time is limited to 90 minutes but this is more than enough. The next morning we had the buffet breakfast. Again, great selection more orientated to Japanese dishes but enough 'Western' to please anyone. For the second night we thought we would try the ryotei (restaurant with private rooms). This was quite disappointing.|The food was average at best. 'Hot' food was lukewarm and service slow.|We cancelled a second planned dinner there and opted for the buffet for the next two nights. Better food at a better price.|After a couple of nights, the size and drabness of the room no longer bothered us. The staff were excellent. Always cheerful and ready to help.|Free coffee is available in the lounge until 6pm. It's from a machine. Not great but can't complain. |There is a shop on the lobby floor with a wide selection of products/omiage.|The shuttle bus runs to the station at 8.30 and 10 in the morning and will drop you off at Bukeyashiki (samurai residence) or Iimoriyama. It also picks up at the station at 14.10, 15.10, 16.30 and 17.00 (better to check times in case of change or my faulty memory). There are also buses that stop fairly close to the hotel, perhaps a 5 min walk, mainly uphill going to...

A local hotel, “Touhou Onsen” is in Aizuwakamatsu city, Fukushima. First, it is built in the mountain so the access is not easy, but there are various ways to go there. Using free bus from the Aizuwakamatsu station to the hotel is very convenient. However, if you live in outside of Fukushima, it is hard to get to its station because for example, Tokyo is far from Fukushima. Next, a dinner is style of buffet, therefore you can eat anything you like. Then, you can also eat traditional local specialty of Aizu. They are very delicious. For example, “Kozuyu”, “Tempura of manju” and so on. Kozuyu is soup which is made with dry matter of marine products. It is also familiar to the common people since the late Edo period. I think you will be surprised to eat Tempura of manju because it is interesting taste like sweet, salty and savory. So I want you to eat them once!! And there are a lot of types of rooms like Japanese-style, Western-style and so on, so you can enjoy choosing them, but there is only Wi-Fi in the lobby. It is not useful for people nowadays because they always use smartphones. I recommend you bring a pocket WiFi to the hotel if you want to always use it. In addition, there is a historical hot spring place and the hotel got a Fukushima Prefecture Architectural Culture Award / Special Section Award in 2008. There has two open-air baths. And you can experience both of them because there is alternated Gentlemen’s bath and Ladies’ bath according to the time of day. Then you can see a beautiful view from there. In the evening, you are able to see a lot of stars in the sky and it is beautiful! The water of hot spring is sulfate spring. It includes many good effects for health such as a burn, an arthralgia and so on. You will feel relaxed by taking the hot spring. Finally, you can enjoy sightseeing. At first, there are historic sites of the shinsengumi around the hotel. If you know about them who were special police force organized by the Bakufu (military government) during Japan's Bakumatsu period (late Tokugawa shogunate) in 1863, you can enjoy more. Second, there are various shops that you are able to experience some activity. For example, you can draw a picture on the lacquer ware or candle and you can also experience ceramic art, so you can create only one original product in the world. From these things, I recommend you this hotel if you want to feel atmosphere of...

Location: This hotel is located at the entrance of Higashiyama Onsen. For travelers who take JR train instead of driving, I recommend arriving Aizu-Wakamatsu in the afternoon, and contacting hotel in advance to sign up for free shuttle. I happened to arrive in the morning, and had to take the local sightseeing bus, get off at the "entrance of Higashiyama Onsen" stop, and drag my luggage to the hotel (not a pleasant experience but not hotel's fault). Also, the hotel is in walking distance to Samurai House. Taking the sightseeing bus at the nearby stop can take you to most of the sightseeing spots in the city.||Room: the Western-style room we stayed was a bit dated, but I expected that during booking, and I was OK with it.||Food: Buffet was great. There were many, many options to choose from. There was also the local specialty of horse-meat sushi.||Service: This hotel offered fantastic service. My friend and I were both sick that day. I let them know that my friend was too sick to come down and eat dinner buffet. They were willing to offer room service for dinner (without extra charge). Also, a few hotel staff were able to speak English, which made my life a lot easier.||Overall: I would recommend this hotel for foreign visitors (with JR Pass) who are considering a stay in Aizu-Wakamatsu. However, if you are really into hotels with "traditional Japanese hot spring atmosphere," then this hotel might not be the best option. The hot spring bath is very modern and does not have the...