The hotel itself is very nice. Love the grounds and interior layout- especially the round fireplace. Our room 301 had its own outdoor tub which was great. The big disappointment was dining. We opted for the French dinner which had multiple courses. Two of my dishes were not hot enough and I had to send them back. The staff also didn’t explain much about the dishes- maybe cause we didn’t speak Japanese? The wine was good.
Breakfast buffet was better. The beef stew was very tasty.
I have very mixed feelings of the resort. On the one hand, the layout of the hotel was very nice. In terms of size, this place seems to hit the "sweet spot" in terms of size. Not too small to feel stuff, but not large like a big hotel. The facilities appear to be very new and neatly maintained. The rooms were quite spacious. The architecture was quite impressive. The bar with the old Tannoy speakers as well as the interesting acoustics was memorable, as is the "stairway to nowhere" outside. Very Instagram-friendly.
On the other hand, there were some specific issues with our stay that were clear negatives. We had a kaiseki dinner comprised of the nine courses and we felt rushed to finish our meal. We started the meal at 7 pm and ended at 8:30. The staff did not spend time to explain what was being served, merely pointing to the English menu that they provided at the beginning. The quality of the service affected our overall impression of the meal.
Thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback with us sincerely. We apologize for any inconvenience caused regarding the timing during your meal. We also take to heart the lack of explanation of the dishes served, and will strive to improve our service in the future. We are pleased to hear your kind words about our building and facilities. We will continue to work hard to ensure our guests' satisfaction and look forward to welcoming you back in the future. TOYAKO Tsuruga reasort Hikarinouta General Manager Kiyotaka Kamada
My husband and I spent 2 nights here at the end of our 10-day driving trip around Hokkaido. This was the perfect place to wind down at the end of a trip. We had a first floor room with in-room open-air onsen which was really convenient. The amenities in the room were all well thought out and conveniently placed. I only wished they had provided a more traditional hair dryer instead of a wand style hair dryer. The large cylindrical shape was difficult for someone with small arthritic hands.
Service was generally very attentive and efficient. The only disappointment we felt was at the Japanese dinner served in a private room. We felt a little rushed at the rate the different courses were presented, and the server was not at all engaging. At a hotel that seemingly pays a lot of attention to details, I was surprised that they didn't assign a server who could speak English knowing that we were foreigners visiting Japan.
Nonetheless, I would recommend this beautiful property situated in a very quiet and serene location. They have lovely art work placed at various strategic locations inside the hotel. I think they even had tours to show off the art work. Too bad I didn't find out in time to do so.
Our Hokkaido driving tour was mostly planned by yourtravelhokkaido.com who also provided the vehicle and the English speaking driver. It was such a blessing to have someone familiar with the region to drive us around. We highly recommend these folks.
My husband and I spent 2 nights here at the end of our 10-day driving tour around Hokkaido. This was the perfect place to unwind at the end of our trip. We stayed in a first-floor room with an in-room open-air onsen, which was incredibly convenient. The room's amenities were well thought out and placed conveniently. However, I wish a more traditional hair dryer instead of a wand-style one was provided. The large cylindrical form was difficult to handle for someone with small, arthritic hands like myself. Service was generally very attentive and efficient. Our only disappointment was at the Japanese-style dinner served in a private room. We felt slightly rushed with the speed at which the different courses were presented, and the server was not at all engaging. It surprised me that, for a hotel that seemingly pays a lot of attention to detail, they didn't assign a server who could speak English, knowing that we were foreigners visiting Japan. Nevertheless, I would recommend this beautiful property situated in a very quiet and serene location. They have lovely artwork strategically placed in various locations within the hotel. I believe they even offer tours to showcase the artwork. It's too bad I didn't discover this in time to partake. Our driving tour of Hokkaido was largely planned by yourtravelhokkaido.com, who also provided the vehicle and English-speaking driver. Having someone familiar with the region to drive us around was such a blessing. We highly recommend them. Kiyotaka Kamada Toyako Tsurugaresort HIKARINOUTA General Manager
This was my second visit to this onsen hotel, and though I was eager to return, I noticed a noticeable decline in service quality within just six months. The hotel remains a tranquil retreat, ideal for relaxation, and the Japanese dinner continues to impress with its authenticity and quality. The food is exquisitely plated, featuring exceptionally fresh ingredients, and remains a highlight of the dining experience.
However, the service during meal times was disappointingly subpar this time around. Unlike my previous stay, the staff seemed hesitant to engage. Dishes were placed on the table without any explanation, which is quite unusual for an onsen hotel where the introduction of each dish adds to the experience. When I prompted the server in Japanese, she briefly described the next two or three courses but then reverted back to minimal interaction. For a hotel of this caliber and price point, the lack of detailed service was a significant letdown.
The accommodations and onsen facilities continue to be top-notch, maintaining the high standards I experienced during my first visit. The rooms are well-maintained, and the onsen offers a serene environment perfect for relaxation.
In summary, while the physical aspects of the hotel remain impressive, the decline in service quality, particularly in the dining experience, was disheartening. For the price paid, one expects consistent, high-quality service, which this renowned onsen hotel unfortunately did not fully deliver this time around.
Dear Guest, Thank you very much for returning to our hotel and providing valuable comments and impressions. We are delighted that you appreciated our hotel as a place to relax comfortably and that our dinner continues to impress with its quality and tradition. However, we deeply apologize for the unfavorable impression you had during meal service this time. We are sincerely sorry for the inadequate introduction of the dishes and the lack of communication from our staff. We will reinforce our efforts in staff training and service improvement. We are truly thankful for your positive evaluation regarding our rooms and onsen facilities maintaining the high-quality as per your previous visit. On the other hand, we deeply understand your disappointment about the decline in the quality of our service during the dining experience. We sincerely apologize for any deficiencies in meeting your expectations. We acknowledge that we should provide consistent, high-quality service that matches the price you have paid, and deeply regret that we could not fully provide it this time. We will utilize these sincere reflections to fully commit to providing a service that appropriately highlights the true value of our hotel. We humbly ask for your continued patronage and guidance. Kiyotaka Kamada Toyako Tsurugaresort HIKARINOUTA General Manager
