Beach Hotels in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan

"The hotel is a bit old, a common issue with older Japanese hotels. The front desk staff are all older folks, but their attitude is excellent. 1. Yukata, towels, and toiletries are all provided and free. The room has a bathtub, but for a hot spring bath, you need to go to a designated floor. It's great value for money, and the room is very spacious, making it cost-effective for multiple people. 2. The cleanliness is what you'd expect given its age; I went in with realistic expectations, as it's hard for old hotels to meet strict hygiene standards. 3. The location is excellent and convenient for transportation. It's very close to Ito Station, and you can take the first bus in the morning directly from the starting point to Mount Omuro. 4. The sea is right outside the window, so the view is fantastic! You can even watch the sunrise from your room."

"Overall, I'll still give it five stars. Not many Chinese people come to this area, as it's better to drive yourself. Coming by train is quite troublesome, as you'd have to call the hotel shuttle to pick you up, and wait for a long time. Alright, this hotel is still worth experiencing, and I'll elaborate further. The hotel has an entrance on the seaside road, where you can take an unmanned inclined elevator up to the 6th-floor lobby. I think this inclined elevator is the hotel's biggest unique feature. Once you reach the 6th floor, you can check in. There are several self-check-in machines, and they support Chinese, which is very convenient. The entire hotel is divided into three buildings (though it should really be two). As long as you can figure out the elevators, you're all set. Take the elevator from check-in down to the third floor to find the Salone, which offers free beer, sodas (over a dozen types), a fully automatic coffee machine, ice cream, and cookies – all complimentary. Just be mindful of the time slots. The fourth floor has the hot springs, and the fifth floor has the restaurant. It's best to book the restaurant in advance; I couldn't get a reservation during my entire stay. There are also many smoking rooms, almost on every floor. The room isn't big, but it's very thoughtfully designed. It comes with a prepared hot spring basket. There are slippers, four tissue boxes, and the fridge has two bottles of orange juice and mineral water, all free. The cleanliness of the room deserves the highest rating; even the glass overlooking the sea was spotless. Gazing at that sea, it's easy to get lost in past memories... Wiping away the tears, let's continue. The Atami hot springs have a slight hint of seaweed and the water is salty (yes, I tasted it). There are four private single rooms; no reservation is needed, you can just go in if they're empty. The co-ed hot spring requires a reservation, but the others don't, and they operate almost 24 hours a day. I always went for a soak around 2 AM, and there was no one else there, avoiding any awkwardness. It's very convenient to get around from here. Opposite the inclined elevator on the first floor is a Lawson convenience store, and beyond Lawson, towards the sea, is the beach. From the 6th-floor front desk, there's an uphill slope, followed by two sets of stairs, leading to a food street. At the end of the food street are Atami Station and the largest supermarket in the area. However, it closes at 7 PM... and my daughter doesn't get out of school until 7 PM. The fourth floor is worth visiting for a drink; you can see the entire city and the sea from there. There are many restaurants nearby, and popular ones always have queues during meal times. Finally, a complaint: the hotel's parking lot is hard to find. It's up a small road off the main street. And it's a multi-story car park, so 9-11 AM is peak time for picking up cars, and it takes at least half an hour. I later parked in the car park next to Lawson; it was double the price of the hotel parking but much more convenient."