Atami Korakuen Hotel — Hotel in Atami

The experience starts with the shuttle ride you get for free from Atami Station. That was a nice addition. However, I found it strange that the gentleman driver who took my luggage decided that out of the 30 other people in line with luggage as well and all heading to the same Atami Bay resort I was going to, had to check my reservation alone - as I was the only foreigner there. Blatant discrimination still on display in Japan these days I guess. Wish they'd move past it. Its 2025 for Gods sake. We're all humans, and skin doesn't change that.

Regardless, I appreciated the gentleman taking the luggage and the free ride they offered. After a tightly cramped journey in very small seats, driving down winding roads - we pull up in front of the building. They did have an english-speaking front desk attendant which was very accomodating.

While at the counter, my wife and I were made aware that we were about 1.5 hours early. I made a simple request. My wife and I are traveling across Japan and we have bags of dirty laundry with us in our suitcase. I asked to use their laundry services but was told I was not allowed to, until after 2PM. In fact the woman asked her boss who then gave a glare and waved a dismissive hand while shaking her head no in the single most disgusted face I had ever seen. FOR NO REASON. WHY?! So when they told us to go get coffee and wait, we accidentally went in the wrong direction as they had roped one of the entryways off to the coffee area. I immediately wanted to leave and cancel our reservation - as the counter staff stared, pointed and whispered loud enough for us to hear, followed by laughing at us. They were lucky I was gentleman enough not to confront them over their rudeness.

So we weren't allowed to do our laundry.

Why not? There was no special access key needed to do so. Didn't have to scan a keycard to enter a door. You don't need to swipe your room key to use a washer or dryer. Nothing. I have the money. The machine isn't being used. I'm here to pay this hotel and take advantage of their public onsens, of their spa, of their massages and food in exchange for my money. My wife and I purchased one of their most expensive rooms. If I have to sacrifice some of those things I could have paid for because I need to sit with my laundry for 2 hours, what sense does that make? From a business standpoint, you just threw away an opportunity to make money and completely wasted my time which led to a subpar review when it could have been a 5-star review.

By the way, I thought it was hilarious that they have so much staff standing around on their phones doing nothing, and no one to take our luggage to our room for us.

The rooms are visibly aged. Signs from an era where they allowed smoking in the rooms are still visible in the cigarette nicotine stains on the walls and now ingrained forever in the 60 year old wallpaper. It smells like smoke in the non-smoking rooms and hallways which they have made accessible for smokers with smoking closets that the smoke comes out of and fills the hallways with the smell. Why are they even there? I felt sick afterwards.

Wood chips gouged out of the furniture and stained or splintered tatamis that stabbed through our socks and into our feet.

Not impressed with the lacking service. I guess if you don't get dropped off in an expensive car, wearing a 400,000 yen suit you aren't good enough to have the staff fawn and slobber over you.

As a foreigner, I think I'll skip this place next time I'm here. I am a regular American visitor doing business in Atami annually. This was my first time here and it didnt feel like they wanted me or my money. Laughing rudely at us, not helping guide or direct us and not letting us complete laundry in empty machines while we waited for our rooms to open.

Thats fine. I can spend my money elsewhere and my wife and I will never recommend this place to our...

★★★★☆ | Atami Korakuen Hotel – Quiet Luxury with a Soak and a View

Atami Korakuen Hotel is the kind of place that makes you double-check the price. Tucked into a quiet corner of Atami’s coastline, it offers a remarkably luxurious experience for what you pay—and while it isn’t perfect, it hits far more than it misses.

The hotel is split across two buildings: one facing the mountains, the other offering stunning ocean views. Rooms in both wings are spacious and modern, with minimalist touches and excellent water pressure in the full-body spray showers—a small but delightful luxury that adds a bit of spa energy to your morning routine.

The on-site Fuua Spa, located within the hotel complex, is a standout. One free entry is included in your stay, and it’s worth every moment. The infinity hot tub overlooking the Pacific feels like something you’d find in a five-star ryokan, not a hotel at this price point. The spa offers a sleek, calming space where you can drift for hours, soaking in ocean views and steam.

The standard hotel onsen, while perfectly serviceable, pales in comparison. It’s quiet, clean, and relaxing—but next to Fuua, it feels like the understudy.

Breakfast, meanwhile, is fine. The buffet checks all the boxes—eggs, grilled fish, miso soup, pastries—but it won’t leave a lasting impression. It’s there to fuel your day, not delight it.

Still, for what you pay, Atami Korakuen Hotel delivers comfort, style, and a view that makes even rainy mornings feel cinematic. It’s not flawless, but it knows exactly what it is—and it does...

We went with some friends to enjoy a few days away from Tokyo and we managed to secure a good deal on a room with breakfast and dinner and shinkansen included and for what we paid, we feel like we had a great deal. The room was very spacious, we were five friends sharing a Japanese style tatami mat room and it had the lovely smell of new tatami mats. The onsen was large, clean and modern and had an outside onsen as well. The breakfast and dinner were buffet style and we enjoyed wearing our yukatas to the restaurant for dinner. About half of the guests in the restaurant were wearing yukatas when we went. The service was typically Japanese in that everything seemed to be very polite, organised and efficient. Our futons were laid out for us whilst we were dining. The location is good in that it faces the sea and is walking distance from the train station. There is a free shuttle bus for those that do not want to walk. A...