Hotel New Akao

This hotel is located on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Atami, and it's quite spacious inside. The rooms are clean, tidy, and hygienic. Both the breakfast and dinner buffets were excellent. Plus, there's a hot spring bath to enjoy. It's a peaceful and serene escape from the city's hustle and bustle, offering mountains, water, great food, drinks, and hot springs. I'm already planning to return to Atami New Akasaka next time!

The hotel's location is excellent. However, I was woken up at 6 AM the next morning by a fire alarm. It turned out to be a false alarm announced over the intercom. The hotel didn't offer any apology or compensation. The announcement was only in Japanese and Korean, which is really inadequate. How can such a large hotel lack multilingual staff? This is also the first time I've stayed at a hot spring hotel where I had to make my own bed – completely unexpected.

Everything else was pretty good, and I would have given the service four stars. However, one shuttle driver deliberately didn't pick me up, which was really frustrating. So, I can only give the service one star. The buffet, though, is highly recommended!

The room was a bit dated, and the pillows weren't comfortable at all. The soundproofing was terrible, but the food was good.

Facilities: This hotel has an old-money charm, and you can really see its past luxury. Everything is very well-maintained, and the rooms are clean. There aren't many power outlets, but they thoughtfully provided power strips. The tatami mattress was very comfortable, and the cleaning staff did a thorough job every day. The view from the window was beautiful, and falling asleep to the sound of the ocean waves was a dream. Service: The hotel offers a shuttle service to Atami JR Station, departing every half hour from in front of McDonald's. There are two vans per shuttle, clearly marked with the hotel's name in red, and managed by hotel staff. They drop off at both the old and new wings, which makes up for the slightly inconvenient location. Environment: The hotel boasts three large hot springs, all with both indoor and outdoor baths. I tried them all, and each has its own unique character. My skin felt so smooth afterwards! The walkway on the 15th floor of the Ocean Wing (old building) offers panoramic ocean views, making it the perfect spot to watch the sunrise. Dining: The buffet dinner was absolutely, incredibly amazing! Unlimited tuna belly! All-you-can-eat scallops and roe! Shrimp, sea bream, squid, salmon – there was so much I couldn't even try it all. The cooked dishes were also delicious, but my stomach just couldn't fit any more. I saw some not-so-great reviews before checking in, but perhaps everyone has different preferences. We, however, highly recommend it!

The hotel is huge with an amazing sea view. You can watch the sunrise from your room in the morning, and there are three hot springs directly facing the ocean. The buffet breakfast is also incredibly diverse and plentiful.

My experience at the Shin Akawo Hotel was absolutely superb. The architecture is grand and elegant, and the surrounding views are breathtaking. The signature infinity sea-view hot spring is incredibly atmospheric and truly therapeutic, facing the ocean directly – soaking in it was extra relaxing. The buffet restaurant offers an amazing variety of dishes, all fresh and delicious. The refreshing and detoxifying Yuzu drink was a perfect touch. Highly recommended!