Hot Spring Hotels in Zao

Transportation: easiest with a 50-min taxi ride from Sendai airport unless int’l traveler wants to transfer via trains/buses. Nearest bus stop/little township is 遠刈田温泉 (13-min by foot to the Inn). Key feature is open air onsens in forestry — this is why I chose to stay. Delightful breakfast and dinner (during dinner, there are all-inclusive drinks menu + additional charge ones). I enjoyed the 2nd night’s beef/daikon pot in particular. There are hearth side afternoon refreshment, happy hour beer, post-dinner snack that you will be kept fed warmly. The aircon in Buna room would blow directly on the head so the fan blade should be adjusted. Staff English speaking capability varies but they made every effort in solving problems. Little hiccup after checking out that the bus time table the Inn indicated was outdated, but I still managed to change my route in the fly, which is the beauty traveling in Japan.

My wife and I stayed in the villa for two nights. Overall, the atmosphere was great and we were able to experience something out of the ordinary. The villa's open-air bath, filled with natural hot spring water, is charmingly carved out of a large rock. It was spacious enough to stretch out and enjoy a luxurious stay. The washing area was separated by a door, making it easy to stay warm, and I really appreciated the thoughtfulness, even in the cold season. And above all, since our room had its own open-air bath, being able to use it whenever I wanted felt incredibly luxurious. For dinner, we chose the yakiniku plan, which included a Zao beef platter, which we enjoyed grilling over charcoal to perfection. The breakfast menu was also very varied and satisfying. I ended up overeating. This is definitely the perfect inn for an extraordinary experience. Thank you for the wonderful memories.