Hot Springs Hotels in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan

We checked in here the evening we visited Hongu Taisha. The hotel is about a ten-minute walk from Kii-Katsuura Station, making its location quite convenient. It's a fairly large establishment for the area, a typical Japanese-style onsen hotel that's pretty standard overall. We booked a Japanese-style room with an ocean view, and the scenery was indeed lovely. We had to lay out our own futons on the tatami mats. While I understand Japan's dining reservation culture, it was still impossible to add dinner at the last minute, even as an in-house guest. To make matters worse, there were hardly any other restaurants nearby – even the izakaya across the street required advance booking. Consequently, we had to rely on the convenience store for our evening meal, which was quite disappointing for a hotel. Breakfast was a set Japanese meal. What was perplexing was that despite traveling with children, no kids' meal was provided, even though the table next to us had one. In short, if you're visiting Kii-Katsuura, make sure to book your dinner well in advance. As depicted in the last three photos, after sundown in this area, only convenience stores remain open.

Pros: •I don't see the point in just choosing a room here. Be sure to get a superior Japanese-style room with an open air bath or even a bungalow, and definitely one with a sea view. Then you're guaranteed a complete experience. •The hotel welcomes guests barefoot or in socks on tatami mats, a very pleasant and authentic experience. •VIEWS!! Gorgeous panoramic views of the ocean. •This is a traditional ryokan, so tattoos are not allowed, BUT I was immediately given tape to cover up the tattoos on my arms, and everything was fine. •Delicious food, lots of delicious food! The breakfasts are especially amazing. •The hotel offers a lot of complimentary drinks, and the after-onsen area has free ice cream and cold water. They serve local ramen from 10-11 PM also complementary. •All the onsen are very clean and cool. Especially the male and female one, built into a cliff right on the ocean shore, has a view. By the way, they provide special clothing, so if you're shy, don't worry. •There were no stink bugs. It's important to understand that this is nature, and insects are normal. Cons: •Despite the fact that many foreigners stay here, there's almost no English navigation and the staff speaks very little English. •There are only two private onsen, and the ryokan is huge; it was easiest to get the key to the private ones in the evening. •The main dishes at the kaiseki dinner were surprisingly disappointing (dry rice and tasteless noodles), although the other dishes were very good. •The onsen are closed from 10:00 to 15:00, so there's nothing to do during these 5 hours, especially if the weather is bad 😭 •The ryokan doesn't offer food other than breakfast and dinner and don’t have a restaurant, so if it rains or a typhoon, you'll have to go outside the hotel to find food. Conclusion: If this is your first ryokan, it's probably better to choose a more tourist-oriented one. If you want to fully immerse yourself in onsen culture and be captivated by the ocean, this is a great choice ☺️

A clean and relatively modern hotel sitting on top of a hill with a spectacular view of the harbour. There is an indoor/outdoor onsen on the ground floor and free alcohol and snacks from 3 to 5 pm every afternoon! Great value for money, and a great place to relax and ease back into civilisation if you’ve just come out of the mountains after doing the Kumano Kodo.

Staying alone on a weekday during the off-season, I was given a room on the lowest floor, the 3rd floor (later found out this entire floor was occupied by Chinese guests). There's a platform outside the window that people can walk onto once the window is opened, essentially making it a public balcony, which is a huge safety concern. The overhanging eaves outside the window also felt quite oppressive. However, considering the price of over 700 including two meals, I decided to put up with it. Other aspects, though, were quite good. The dining was excellent; the dinner kaiseki and breakfast buffet were among the best I've had at any onsen hotel. The lobby bar also offered complimentary drinks at night. The staff's attitude was superb.

We've stayed at Dormy Inn in many locations across Japan, and our entire family loves it. Although the rooms at Dormy Inn are typically quite small, they offer incredible value for money. Being able to soak in a hot spring every day after returning exhausted is a particularly worthwhile experience. The hotel provides complimentary ice cream, Yakult, and massage chairs. Plus, at 9:30 PM, they even offer free soy sauce ramen. These added perks are definitely a major draw. Personally, I find Dormy Inn's breakfasts to be excellent across Japan, with the exception of Tokyo, which is just average. They always incorporate local specialties, with dishes like beef bowls, natto, and onsen eggs being prime examples. The Dormy Inn in Wakayama even offered cantaloupe, which was a delightful surprise, especially considering a single wedge of Yubari melon in Hokkaido can cost 25 RMB.

The hotel is situated at a secluded corner of Wakayama prefecture. It is much preferable to drive here rather than relying on the infrequent hotel shuttle. Public transport is otherwise non existent. There are no restaurants around the hotel. However the hotel provides delicious meals with abundant fresh seafood. The in room dining experience is superb. The hotel staff service is impeccable. The room has a spectacular sea view allowing you to see the sunset on clear days. The onsen also faces the sea which provides a relaxing experience. A downside is that the hotel does not seem to sanitize the slippers for indoor use. All hotel guests had to change to their slippers to access their indoor facilities.

It is very convenient to stay overnight on foot. Although it is a youth hostel, it is very quiet. The facilities of the homestay are very complete, and the public area of ​​the rest area is very comfortable. It would be better if lunch boxes were provided. If the weather is bad, I definitely don’t want to go out for meals.

The location is close to the beach, making it convenient for self-driving tours. Although the hotel has been renovated, it feels a bit run-down, but the beautiful scenery is enough to complement it. The hotel buffet has a wide variety of dishes and is very satisfying.

We stayed two nights in Shirahama, away from the hustle and bustle of Osaka, for a truly peaceful getaway. Among the many hotels, we chose the Marriott, and the private onsen with its own bath was fantastic for privacy. The kids loved soaking in it, and at night, we could ask the hotel to turn off the water and turn it back on the next day, so it wouldn't disturb our sleep. The fabled hill wasn't tiring at all; we took a taxi with our luggage to and from the hotel, and walking to the beach was a leisurely stroll, not strenuous at all—more like a pleasant walk. There are izakayas and ramen shops near the hotel, and the beach is very close. Breakfast was admittedly nothing special, but it was enough to fill us up. Oh, and the plum drink in the hotel lobby was incredibly delicious, refreshing, and not too sweet! Overall, the kids really enjoyed our trip to Shirahama!

Very good. The service of the store is very good. The front desk can speak Chinese. The people are super gentle. The sea view is worth it. It is very beautiful. It is very comfortable to soak in a hot spring after a day of shopping. Recommended! (The room is a bit big and may be a bit cold. Then my friend and I are not used to the Japanese breakfast. But it is still very convenient and comfortable to eat in the morning. It depends on your opinion.