Amis Droles — Hotel in Kawadu

This hotel was unexpectedly lovely! The "onsen pool" was the perfect temperature, and it was nice to be able to enjoy an onsen-like experience with my mixed-sex group of (shy American) friends. Our rooms were clean, tidy, very spacious by Japanese hotel standards, and had all the amenities we needed. The owner/manager was extremely kind and eager to help, and my rudimentary Japanese was more than enough to allow communication between us. Even my non-Japanese speaking friend was able to follow his explanation of all the amenities.

When the manager discovered we had not planned enough food (our fault for not reading the maps closely enough), he very kindly drove us to the nearby conbini so we could supplement our supplies. This was really above-and-beyond service compared to what I'm used to, and I am so thankful to him!

The hotel and Kawazu town itself were a bit more remote than I had expected (not enough research), and it gets DARK at night, so in retrospect I can say we should have brought a rental car.

We got a private hot springs room, and the luxurious feeling of the private onsen was amazing. Open-air but still very secluded, with a natural stone aesthetic.

Also the pool deserves another mention--such a nice temperature, with fun lighting at nighttime--a delight both in the morning and evening. There were many little critters to watch from the pool, including birds, colorful beetles, and butterflies, and my friends saw a gecko enjoying the warmth near the private onsen!

We went to Kawazu specially for the nearby KawaZoo, a frogs-only zoo, which was amazing, but were also charmed by Kawazu town itself. There was a nearby shrine dedicated to a sumo wrestler who was said to have trained with a 700-lb stone which you can still see today, and on the short walk over there were multiple beautiful views of the Kawazu River and the surrounding mountains. I would also recommend taking the bus to do the 1 hour Nanadaru waterfalls hike if you are able--there are lots of stairs, but feeling the spray from these gorgeous waterfalls and getting to see the rare columnar rock formations was 100% worth it. Our ryokan host provided us with a very cute map of the area showing all the attractions, as well as MANY helpful brochures including one with all the restaurants. There is also a unique and interesting coil shaped highway feature, named after the waterfalls.

Overall, my friends and I didn't want to leave this hotel! I wish we had stayed longer. On my next Japan trip I would love to return to this hotel to enjoy the onsen pool and explore the...

After exiting Kawazu Station, cross the street and walk towards the river. Turn right up the river and cross Arakura Bridge [荒倉橋] then walk 10 more minutes - follow the signs in kanji straight, then right, then left slightly uphill. It's in a nice quiet residential area - a pleasant walk although quite dark at night. ||||The room is decent and clean with an ensuite toilet and sink. The rooms are not soundproof so noises from other guests and infrequent trains can be heard but it's fairly peaceful otherwise. The fridge can get a little loud but it's not too bad.||||The gender separated public indoor hot spring bath is a little dated but pretty standard even though the shower's water pressure is a bit weak. The outdoor one has plants around it and stars can been seen at night so it's quite pleasant. I think there's also a private outdoor onsen that costs extra. We didn't use the pool that's open 'til 6 pm but can see it from the room. The water feels lukewarm but probably still too cold to swim in February. ||||We didn't get a plan with meals but there are a few restaurants and convenience stores near the...

This is a bit worn out and simple hotel. The best things were the extremely friendly and helpful staff, as well as the super delicious dinner & breakfast that was included in the price. I ate maybe the most delicious croissant ever here. The variety and the quality of food was great. Things to improve are  the facilities, especially the onsen. It’s very small but more importantly, it wasn’t well maintained and there was no emergency button. When my mom felt like fainting, it wasn’t possible to call for help. Also the air conditioner in the room was very loud, making it difficult to sleep. All in...