Matsushima Ichinobo

This onsen hotel charges 80,000 yen per night, offering excellent facilities but minimal service. The dinner is a course-grade meal served in an all-you-can-eat style. While some may appreciate this setup, it’s not my preference. However, as a drinker, you’ll find a wide variety of alcoholic beverages to choose from.

The room (I had the basic level option) was gigantic for Japan, with a huge picture window and a view to die for. To say I was blown away upon arrival would be an understatement. The hotel is spacious and uncrowded. I suspect it caters almost exclusively to the Japanese market so some instructions were on rather informal notes, or simply only in Japanese. The rate is breakfast and dinner included but also includes unlimited alcohol from 7pm and coffee/tea/refreshments all day with an icecream bar in the late morning and afternoon. The silence and sleep quality was superb as was the bathroom with shower. The 'set meals' are a little strange for Western habits in that a full menu is offered but is selective as you need to present at a chefs station to have your dish prepared. The nominally western menu was still quite unusual and the Japanese typically such. As the menu does not change night to night, you may find yourself wanting a change by the 4th night. There is no meal service at lunchtime, so you need to prepare, either by taking a trip out, or by finding something light at the nearby 7/11 as any other restaurants are a good 20 minutes walk away.