4-Star Hotels in Aomori Prefecture, Japan

This is our second time staying at this hotel in two years. The location is excellent, right above the train station. The facilities are new, clean, and upscale. They also offer laundry service, which is a paid amenity. On the 6th floor, there's a hot spring, as well as private hot spring baths, and various beauty treatments. There's also a lounge where you can enjoy views of Aomori Bay and drink your fill of complimentary apple juice.

I booked a Japanese-style tatami room. I originally planned to visit Mount Hakkoda and Sukayu Onsen, but unfortunately, it was snowing heavily, making it impossible to get around without a car. So, I ended up just watching TV and building snowmen at the hotel the whole time. The hotel itself has good views and dining options. There's a small convenience store at the hotel (selling simple food like instant noodles and peanuts, ski equipment, etc., but no daily necessities). The bathing facilities are communal, though there's also a shower in the room, but no toiletries like shower gel. I recommend using the public bathhouse to experience a Japanese inn's bathhouse, which has indoor and outdoor pools, plus free ice cream. There's a shuttle bus from the hotel to Aomori Station at 9:00 AM, and another from Aomori Station to the hotel at 3:30 PM (pre-booking required). A taxi from Shin-Aomori Station to the hotel costs 15,000 JPY. During the snow season, you can't get an Uber at all, so you're reliant on the hotel shuttle. This hotel is suitable for skiers. For sightseeing, I recommend visiting during the non-snowy season. (P.S. The snow-covered mountains in Aomori are truly magnificent, and the snowy scenery is beautiful.)

We were two people. The room we stayed at was not big. If you have two suitcases it will be hard to open up both of them at the same time. We didn’t have suitcases, and therefore the space was not a problem for us. The staff were very friendly, polite and helpful. I lost my gloves at a bus, and they helped me to get them back. You also got apple juice as a welcome drink at the front desk (very nice apple juice!). We used baggage storage after checking out, which was no problem. The room was very clean. When we were there they had an eco plan, which was that the room got cleaned only once at our 4 night stay, but could get towels whenever we wanted. We though it was good from the environment perspective (but we decided to not have any cleaning at all). Overall I though our stay at this hotel was very good.

While not as central as some other hotels in the area, the location is still quite convenient, I'd give it an 80/100. It's on the main street, and several popular restaurants and Aomori Station are all within a 10-minute walk. Plus, there's a covered walkway, which is great if it rains. The room size was okay, but with three beds, it felt completely filled, and we had to open our luggage by the bathroom door. The decor felt very much like a business trip hotel, which wasn't quite the vacation vibe we were going for. Overall, I'd rate it an 80 for value for money.

(+) Had a comfortable 2-night stay here. The lobby and lounge are very comfy, our room was spacious with a nice view of Aomori city and the sea! Would recommend guests to check-in before 5PM so you can try several apple juices from the lounge. Breakfast was great with many local dishes including the famous Kaiyaki-miso and Ika-menchi. The staff were very nice, professional, and accommodating. Would love to stay here again next time. Parking space is also a plus point (1,000 JPY/ night) (-) The location is somewhat far from the station, 20 mins by foot or 5 mins by car. Taking a taxi from Aomori station costed us about 1,100 JPY.

Service was good. There was a staff who is stationed at the entrance, checking with guest who arrived by car. They will ask for your name, provided clear instructions of where to park. Unfortunately, I have accidentally left the lights in the car switched on. A few moments later when I was doing my check-in, the front desk staff quickly informed me about it. The facilities are good. Food is really good, very different from the other Hoshino resorts in Aomori that I have stayed. At KAI Tsugaru, it is Kaiseki instead of the usual buffet style. The staff took pains to explain and share the reason for each dish that was served. There are only 41 traditionally-furnished and generously-sized rooms offering both Western and Japanese-style designs which gives a very unique and dedicated experience as compared to other hotels which has many rooms.

The hotel is about 600 meters from Aomori Station. It's a bit inconvenient if you're dragging luggage, but it's very close to the product館 (local specialty center). The room rate isn't expensive, though the bathroom facilities are a bit old, and the hot and cold water taps on the sink are separate. The breakfast is decent, but I feel it's not as extensive as it was a year ago. The worst part was the electric kettle in the room. It didn't automatically turn off when the water boiled, so it boiled all my mineral water dry, which was a waste.

The room was spacious, and the bathroom was large and clean. The hotel is conveniently located with a bus stop and train station right downstairs, making travel easy. The hotel pub was excellent – good drinks and great value, so good we went two nights in a row.

We love the view from our room on the 7th floor. The free wifi is fast in the room, around the hotel, and in the restaurant. We had buffet dinner and breakfast included room rate. We enjoyed both meals. All travelers must added meals with their room because there is no restaurant or convenience stores within 10km radius. There is a gift shop and convenience stores located inside the hotel. We recommend this hotel; and we’ll come back again.

The hotel is directly opposite the aquarium and next to Asamushi Onsen. It's a 5-minute walk, and after a soak, there's a market selling all sorts of apple juice and fruit souvenirs. There weren't many guests staying at the hotel, probably due to the heavy snowfall in Aomori. Both breakfast and dinner were Japanese set meals. The sukiyaki and sashimi were excellent. It was just us and one other couple dining. In the evening, there was a Nebuta performance and sanshin (three-stringed instrument) music. Even with so few guests, the performers were incredibly dedicated and put on a great show. The large public bath is on an upper floor facing the sea, and the island and bay opposite are beautiful. The open-air bath also has two barrel-shaped tubs.