Kameya — Hotel in Tsuruoka

Located in Yunohama, a small seaside onsen town with a sheltered sandy beach on the Japan Sea coast. While the hotels in this area are densely packed, Hotel Kameya makes the most of its space with a thoughtful courtyard layout, a lovely garden space and design so that every room has a ocean view. While the decor has that typical rokan elegance, it also had a distinctly relaxed, beachy feel with light natural woods and comfortalbe furniture. The older part of the hotel, which is rather photogenic, is set up on the hill and there has been some care to preserve the traditional atmosphere. The newer hotel building is less garish than many of the ones on the strip. Free vallet parking.||The food was delicious, local and fresh. The specialities of the area are yamagata cherries, pears, a local wine and a variety of edamame. We had our dinner in our room, which was a fun, relaxing experience after a long senic drive. The young lady who served us took the time to chat, tell us about local dialect and food. Although she seemed uncomfortalble speaking english, we had fun chatting in both languages. While we were eating, there was a fireworks show on the beach, right in front of our window.||The baths are on the hot side, which is good if you are coming in from the cool sea. Each side had three, including a rotemburo overlooking the ocean. They also have a nice foot washing area at the front of the hotel with onsen water. The hotel lends wooden geta sandals for walking on the beach (which is just across the street and down some steps.) ||But what really stands out in my mind is the high level of service. The hotel has a top notch staff and we found everyone to be friendly and...

Overall rating: 4-1/3 stars||||Yunohama Onsen isn’t a hugely exciting place, but Kameya is an excellent hotel. The property overlooks the Sea of Japan. Service was unusually fine -- a strong statement, given that Japan is a country known for good service! -- from start to finish. Overall the decor and mood felt like a mix of modern Japanese and Western aesthetics. Our Japanese-style room was clean and spacious, with a large window (part of which was screened and opened to admit fresh air) looking onto the narrow sand beach and the water. The gender-separated onsen (public bath) was clean and pleasant -- inside and rotenburo -- and overlooked the Sea of Japan. Good wireless Internet was available in the lobby, as advertised.||||The food at Kameya was great. Clearly there is a capable and creative chef in the kitchen. Dinners were elegant and unhurried, and each course received careful presentation. The food paired well with locally produced sake. Our two dinners featured many kinds of fresh fish (e.g. tai carpaccio) and spring veggies (e.g. yummy white and green asparagus), with just a little meat (special pork and beef). Given advance notice, the hotel will swap out meat for fish. Breakfasts were delicious as well. The restaurant staff was attentive and professional.||||If your travels take you to the Tsuruoka area, I highly recommend...

Kameya Hotel This hotel is located right on the beachfront, so you wake up to a wonderful view of the sea and sand. The interior is beautifully decorated in a traditional Japanese style, but with modern sensibilities—a fascinating mix of history, paintings, and artwork combined with updated comforts. There’s even a Zen garden at the front entrance that sets the tone perfectly.

The rooms are large and well-kept. While the rooms themselves only have showers (spacious and nice), the real highlight is the onsen. Several baths are available, including some that look directly out onto the sea—absolutely stunning.

Breakfast can be customized to be completely vegan. I enjoyed a beautifully prepared kaiseki-style vegan breakfast with seasonal vegetables, tofu, and miso soup. It’s served on a tray like in a restaurant, not buffet-style. There’s also self-service coffee and a few sweets available.

For EV users: charging is completely free, with no apps required. The staff handle everything for you, which makes the process simple and stress-free.

This stay definitely gets the Electric Vegan seal...