When my husband, who...
When my husband, who feels nostalgic for the Showa era, learned about the revival of Hotel New Akao, he insisted we must visit, so we went as a family to celebrate his birthday. It was our first time staying there. We arrived at the parking lot around 1:30 PM, entered the main entrance of the Horizon Wing, went down to the basement, and walked through the connecting passage to the Ocean Wing where we had made our Stays Reservation. At the end of the passage was the Salon de Nishiki on the 15th floor. The moment my husband saw the Showa retro hall adorned with a luxurious chandelier, he was already in awe. The front desk was on the top floor, the 17th floor. Although there was a bit of a distance from the parking lot to there, I enjoyed the journey.
We were allowed to check in early, and first, we had a welcome drink at the lounge "Abies" on the 2nd floor of the Ocean Wing, then went to the Sparium Nishiki and the large public bath "Saikai." After a short rest at the Royal Lounge, we went to the open-air bath "Namion." I wanted to try all the Onsen while it was still bright before dinner, so it was quite a hectic bathing experience. I went back to my favorite Sparium Nishiki again after dinner.
Considering the size of the Hotel, I thought the Onsen was small. Even the largest Sparium Nishiki was smaller than I had imagined, but I later learned that there is a gender switch. If I had visited there the next morning, I could have entered the larger bath. What a pity!
Although the baths were a bit disappointing, the location and the building of this Hotel exceeded expectations. The Room we stayed in was quite ordinary, like a Ryokan, but the hall and the main dining Nishiki where we had our meals were stunningly luxurious. Right outside the large windows of the main dining Nishiki stood a mountain and cave certified as a geopark, and we were overwhelmed by its majesty. The sunrise shining over the sea was indeed wonderful. We could see the sunrise from the Room we stayed in, but we moved to the garden lobby on the 17th floor midway to watch it. There were clouds on the horizon that day, but about 10 minutes after the sunrise time, the sun peeked through the clouds, showing us a beautiful orange road.
There were a few things I wished for, like more towels, a later checkout, and larger and smoother elevators, but considering the price, I can't be too demanding. The meals were good, and overall, I think it was a satisfying Property.