Mars Garden Wood Gotemba - Gotemba

#1) location is terrific! A 3-5 minute walk from the lake which has gorgeous views if mt Fuji, right around the corner from a beautiful onsen, y some yummy restaurants nearby. #2) super friendly staff that make you feel right at home :) they will even pick you up from the train station so that you don't get lost or have to lug your bags around. I just went to the tourist information center y they called k's for me. 10 minutes later a van came to puck me up, so easy.

The room was very large for the price, and clean. We liked that there was a private bath as well as the big public spa baths (very old-style in-floor deep narrow tub). The people were very sweet, working hard to transmit directions despite the language barrier (oddly, the older guy cleaning the rooms spoke noticeably good English). I could smell some stale smoke in the hotel, but my spouse could not, which isn't half bad for any Japanese Ryokan or hotel. The breakfast was not bad, but a bit limited / monotonous after a couple of days (though that may be because we'd been seriously spoiled at the previous Ryokan). If we understood correctly the reason for the charge, there was an extra spa charge not mentioned in the booking, and while it's not huge--an extra couple of bucks per person, per day--it seems odd for a spa ryokan to not include the spa fee. (Maybe it was a spa tax?). Having been to several onsen and spas, I found that at this one, the women seem to spend a particularly inordinate amount of time on the pre-wash--20 to 30 minutes--so plan for that. It's a 15 minute walk from the train station, which we found reasonable for the price. The hotel surroundings are not bad (and there's food a few minutes in two directions) but they look a bit more downscale starting a couple of blocks before the hotel. The hotel itself is relatively charming, and very welcoming. All in all, a decent option, with pretty outdoor spa pools, huge rooms, nice staff.

This hotel is about 40-45 minutes from Odawara station and the road is kind of too small and narrow for a driver who used to driving in California cities. Many time drivers from opposite directions have to share lanes. There are lots of standing traffic mirrors installed along the road going up and down hills. The hotel itself is kinda old and the bathroom feels like a toilet on the plane.

K's House Ito Onsen is a beautifully renovated Ryokan. If you have priced Ryokans or Onsens, this place was a great deal! We stayed in one of the ensuite rooms which had modern bathroom conveniences, a lovely tatami room with table and 4 floor seats with backs and cushions (zabuton) but the biggest plus was our "balcony" area with refrigerator, table, seating with a lovely view of the river. We could watch carp in the river as we relaxed and sipped beverages or enjoyed snacks. K's provided futon mattresses, linens, nice yukata "robes", plus apparel (like Happi coats, but heavier/lined) for extra warmth. Because we went in April, it was not crowded, so it was quiet and pleasant to use the common areas. If it was during a busier season, it would have been noisier. We enjoyed having a kitchen area to cook or heat up goods from the nearby grocery store. The onsen baths were delightful! The staff couldn't have been more helpful, so friendly and informative! We LOVE K's House!!

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