Arima Onsen Taketoritei Maruyama

“One night was not enough. Once in a Lifetime Experience.”

I made this reservation about 10 months before our trip and was blown away with how nice it was. Since it was not the typical US chain hotels I stay, I was not sure what to expect. The room was not ready when we arrived so we waited in the lobby for about 20 minutes. Not a problem - they had co… more

I made this reservation about 10 months before our trip and was blown away with how nice it was. Since it was not the typical US chain hotels I stay, I was not sure what to expect. The room was not ready when we arrived so we waited in the lobby for about 20 minutes. Not a problem - they had complimentary soda, snacks, ice cream and cappuccino. That is not something you typically see at a US hotel. Justin at the front desk who speaks perfect English and knows a lot about American sports, walked us to our room. He and everyone else are so relaxed and and calm, which is exactly the feel of the entire hotel. Justin came to our rescue when we did not have cash to pay for dinner at a restaurant. Of course, we paid him back but he helped us out of an uncomfortable situation. On a side note, what we did find out as Arima is a small town many places only accept cash so make sure you visit the ATM! Now for the highlight - the in room onsen. We did not want to leave, it was amazing to have an onsen in the room. While the other onsen in the hotel are just as incredible, having one in the room that you can dip in and out of whenever you want was something that we have never experienced and it was the highlight of our trip to Japan. We loved the hotel, we loved the town and we loved our room. We have to come back to Japan but we need that room! I am writing this review since we have absolutely nothing negative to say about this place. Everything was incredible. There was even a free laundry machine in the building in case you want to do laundry. There are free drinks in your room of all kinds if you want water, beer, soda or juice. There is cable tv in your room. There is a free shuttle bus that will pick you up at the bus station and bring you to the hotel and to the town and vice versa. There are plenty of restaurants in the town where you can eat at. Everything is easy easy easy. You can also walk into the town, no problem, it is about a 10 minute walk, there is a google map that you take a photo of with a shortcut. If you can, stay more than a night. One night was simply not enough.

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“Great service”

We came here 10 years ago and visited again recently. The atmosphere and service are still both wonderful. The room we booked was spacious and the onsen is very relaxing. After we left, my dad left something at the hotel and the staff kindly arranged to have it delivered to our next hotel. It arri… more

We came here 10 years ago and visited again recently. The atmosphere and service are still both wonderful. The room we booked was spacious and the onsen is very relaxing. After we left, my dad left something at the hotel and the staff kindly arranged to have it delivered to our next hotel. It arrived beautifully packaged the next day. We were super impressed. Hopefully we get a chance to go back to enjoy.

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“Absolutely Amazing!!!”

We made our way UP the mountain - walking - to our hotel, a shuttle bus stopped next to us and pointed to the hotel name on the side. Bleary from walking miles in 100° heat, I waved them off as we don't stay in hotels fancy enough for a shuttle bus to seek you out when your arrival is expected. 30… more

We made our way UP the mountain - walking - to our hotel, a shuttle bus stopped next to us and pointed to the hotel name on the side. Bleary from walking miles in 100° heat, I waved them off as we don't stay in hotels fancy enough for a shuttle bus to seek you out when your arrival is expected. 30 mins later, drenched in sweat and carrying backpacks that have turned into concrete bricks, we arrived to find them patiently waiting outside of the hotel with cloths to wipe away the sweat. Turns out today, we ARE those fancy people that stay in hotels with shuttle buses. We were in a traditional Japanese style ryokan room, with 9 onsens onsite and they provided us with typical Japanese pajamas and clothing to wear in the hotel and into town if we so chose. We had dinner at a small Japanese BBQ restaurant the hotel recommended and it was truthfully the best meal I have had since arriving in Japan. The shuttle took us and brought us back. When we returned to the room, we discovered they had set it up with traditional futons on the floor, and after one more onsen, in which I soaked in gold water, I laid my head down and slept the best I have in ages. The next morning after another relaxing onsen, we inquired about breakfast places and 1 in particular. Turns out the website was wrong and the restaurant wasn't open. They suggested an alternative we happily accepted and said we would leave in approximately 30 minutes when it opened. However, just a few moments later the gentleman returned to tell us that the restaurant we had wanted was open, and ready for us. The hotel had called and asked if they would be willing to open and serve us. We only found that out from the restaurant itself when we thanked them profusely for the delicious breakfast. The service, the amenities, and the hotel exceed expectations and are top notch. This was our favorite place to stay in all of our Japanese travels.

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