ラグジュアリー和ホテル 風の薫 UMI — Hotel in Ito

I love this place. Let’s just get that out of the way. Having lived in Japan in the past, I’ve been to a ton of onsen hotels in Japan. Far more than even your typical Nihon-jin, without doubt. But I must say that this place is one of my favorites. It does have one drawback, which I’ll get into later, but overall, it’s a nice experience. Located in Shizoka Prefecture, it’s a pretty easy trip from Tokyo. Actually, wifey and I were coming from Osaka at the time, and it wasn’t a problem getting there. Well worth it, for sure. ||||The physical hotel itself is quite large, although there are only nineteen rooms in the entire hotel. During the check-in process you’re brought to a really nice side room, which is basically a café, and you’re given tasty snacks and beverages while filling out the paperwork. The blueberry fruit tart that we had at that time was particularly delicious. The clean and rather slick looking lobby of the hotel, with its soaring windows offering amazing views of the water, has a small gift area, mostly geared toward lady’s beauty products. There’s both an inside and outside ‘fish spa’, which is cool, and also bicycles are available to ride around and explore the area. ||||When we were shown to our room, I have to say I was quite impressed, and you know us jaded native New Yorkers; we don’t impress very easily. But, it was a really nice sized apartment with ample space to relax in. Seriously…I could easily live there indefinitely. The single large bed was firm and comfy. The living room, while a bit small, was really comfy. There’s a pair of binoculars there which you can use to see the beautiful ocean, or aid in watching the many ferry ships going by. There was also a really cool massage chair that we used constantly, and of course there was the onsen out on the balcony. Ah, the onsen. ‘Now you’re talkin.’ We’re all about indulging our onsen fetish, and this place allows you to do just that. The one and only criticism I have about this hotel pertains to the outside onsen. It’s just way too small, NOT just by American standards, but too small period. OK, I’m a 5’10 bodybuilder, weighing in at about 215, so I’d expect a ‘tight squeeze’, but even my very slim 4’11 wife thought it was too small even for her. Given the space utilized outside, they really could have easily accommodated a larger onsen. So, while I did use that onsen often, it wasn’t the most comfortable fit, and definitely not that relaxing. The inside bath is not an onsen, but rather just a wooden styled bath. So, what to do? What’s really cool about this place is that they have their ‘public onsen’ (two of them with different views of the water), which is for the hotel guest, but, you can use it on a private basis! That’s very much a rarity. If they are not being used you can just walk in and have the entire place to yourself. What’s nice is that you don’t have to contend with the normal male/female separate facilities, but you and yours can do the onsen together, which is awesome and a lot of fun. My wife and I used them on a private basis several times, and it was really great. Fantastic! ||||Aside from the fabulous room and onsen indulgences, I’ve got to take a quick moment to comment on the dining experience, which was superb, in every way. Meals are held at their restaurant, and every meal was a lot of fun, in that you have an opportunity to taste a large number of Japanese dishes. When you’re traveling to distant countries, sampling various dishes is certainly a major part of the overall trip experience. You don’t have to like everything, but do give everything a try! Take a look at a few of the pics from various meals, and you’ve got to agree that they look pretty darned delicious! What’s also nice, and very rare, is that the hotel host late night ‘ramen parties’, where you can have different raman dishes for free. A pretty nice touch, indeed. ||||When we weren’t relaxing in our wonderful room, we were on our hotel bicycles exploring the town of Ito. The town itself seems to be something of a seaside tourist spot for Japanese. There’s one shopping area which has all kinds of gifts and interesting food items. That alone was worth the bike ride. In closing, I can honestly report that I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Kozeno Kaori, even though the room onsen was too small. The tiny onsen is the only reason for me not giving 5 stars. In spite of that I can recommend this place, especially so, if you are a foreign traveler. The staff and the hotel were just great. While it was my first time visiting there, I am very sure that it will not be our last. We will return! ||||Hope this...

This is a roykan, so you will be there for relaxation and get away. So it is not meant for shopping. The location is remote, it is about ten minute taxi ride from the station (the hotel will reimburse the taxi fare). ||||Food is extraordinary: both dinner and breakfast||Service is excellent, they place you in a very comfortable room, serve you champagne while walking you through the check in process. The staff will walk you to your room and explain all the little things in your room.||The room is big and comfortable, the sea view is fantastic, there is a private tradition wooden hot spring in the balcony, the bathroom is made by wood. tatami dining area but a western comfy bed. So you can enjoy the traditional Japanese style but with a comfy bed.||Hot spring: other than the in room hot spring, there are two hot spring located on the top floor that you can use (also private, as long as you see it is available) You don't need to share with others that you can enjoy with your family members.||Hotel is very quiet. There is not many rooms in the hotels, so you don't see other often except in meal time. ||The lobby is comfortable and grand.||They have the spa service ($$) so you can be relaxed.||||Overall, this is one of the best hotel I've ever stayed. It is also a nice gateaway from the busy tokyo city life that you can be totally relax. Good for staying 1 or 2 night while travelling Japan. I felt the price is reasonable with the quality of the meal and amenties. it is worth spending...

This is a roykan, so you will be there for relaxation and get away. So it is not meant for shopping. The location is remote, it is about ten minute taxi ride from the station (the hotel will reimburse the taxi fare). ||||Food is extraordinary: both dinner and breakfast||Service is excellent, they place you in a very comfortable room, serve you champagne while walking you through the check in process. The staff will walk you to your room and explain all the little things in your room.||The room is big and comfortable, the sea view is fantastic, there is a private tradition wooden hot spring in the balcony, the bathroom is made by wood. tatami dining area but a western comfy bed. So you can enjoy the traditional Japanese style but with a comfy bed.||Hot spring: other than the in room hot spring, there are two hot spring located on the top floor that you can use (also private, as long as you see it is available) You don't need to share with others that you can enjoy with your family members.||Hotel is very quiet. There is not many rooms in the hotels, so you don't see other often except in meal time. ||The lobby is comfortable and grand.||They have the spa service ($$) so you can be relaxed.||||Overall, this is one of the best hotel I've ever stayed. It is also a nice gateaway from the busy tokyo city life that you can be totally relax. Good for staying 1 or 2 night while travelling Japan. I felt the price is reasonable with the quality of the meal and amenties. it is worth spending...