TAOYA Akiu

Transportation: From Sendai's West Exit platform 63, there's an hourly bus for 940 yen, which is very convenient. Alternatively, you can book the hotel's shuttle bus for 40 yen per ride, which picks up from the East Exit. On the way back, the hotel shuttle bus picks you up directly from the hotel entrance, which is super convenient and takes about 40 minutes. Facilities: It seems to be an old hotel that has been renovated. The room is quite spacious with two small sofas. The bathroom, toilet, and vanity are all separate, but we didn't use the room's bathroom because there's a large public bath. Overall, the cleanliness is good, and the air conditioning heats up quickly. Hot Springs: There are two large public baths that rotate between men and women. Each has at least two indoor and two outdoor pools, which is more than enough. There are also four small private baths that can be booked. We tried one for an hour at 3300 yen, just for the peace and quiet. Food: We had dinner + breakfast buffet. Dinner was 90 minutes and breakfast was 60 minutes. The afternoon tea bar and other amenities are all free and quite convenient. There's also a souvenir shop on the first floor. It would be nice if there was a small snack shop, as I felt a bit hungry after soaking in the hot spring at night with nothing to eat.

Overall, it was pretty good, but the hotel facilities are a bit dated. The Japanese-style room was quite spacious, although there was a slight odor in the bathroom, but everything else was fine. The lounge offered complimentary snacks, drinks, and alcoholic beverages. The buffet dinner selection felt a bit limited, and items like crab legs needed to be pre-ordered (and weren't free). However, the buffet carts were a big hit with the kids. Also, the shuttle bus service from Sendai Station to the hotel needs to be booked in advance; I recommend emailing the hotel right after making your reservation. Another thing to note is that there are almost no taxis around Akiu Onsen, so we weren't able to visit the waterfall this time.

The hotel offers free parking, afternoon snacks in the lobby, and a rich buffet dinner with local specialties like oysters, beef tongue, and seafood. Breakfast is also a buffet, featuring traditional Japanese options and seafood rice bowls, which is very generous. In the evenings, there's a late-night ramen service and a whiskey bar. The hotel also provides karaoke and a billiards room, so you can easily pass the time even if heavy snow keeps you from going outside.

Absolutely loved this onsen hotel! They have both private and public hot springs, and all the amenities you could need. The room was huge and very clean, though the air conditioning only had low, medium, and high settings and no precise temperature control. Both breakfast and dinner were buffet style, with great flavors and a local touch. The hotel offers a shuttle service to and from Sendai Station. I had trouble booking the shuttle online for my departure, but when I asked again at check-in, they kindly and enthusiastically found an available spot for me. The staff were so friendly and helpful!

The room seemed newly renovated, it was quite spacious and comfortable. However, the smell from the wood-burning fire in the lobby at night would waft into the room. It only dissipated slowly after Ctrip customer service coordinated with them to turn it off. We still had to open the windows at night to air it out. I don't understand how their ventilation system works. The hot springs were fantastic, and the dinner buffet was very generous. It's a very relaxing environment. The hot springs were really great. Getting back to Sendai was convenient, with both a shuttle and public bus options available.

The hotel lobby offers a great variety of beverages, including draft beer, along with nuts, dried fruits, and cold drinks, which is a very thoughtful touch. The buffet is incredibly rich with options like ox tongue and oysters. It's a shame there were no crab legs as shown in the hotel photos; I wonder if it was due to the season. Also, the hotel's massage chairs are incredibly comfortable.