Dormy Inn Akita Natural Hot Spring

My Japanese friends told me once you stay at a Dormy Inn, you'll fall in love with it, and I totally agree. It really excels in value for money: not only does it have excellent hot springs (offering multiple baths, cold plunges, and saunas), which many more expensive onsen hotels don't even provide. The various little services are also very thoughtful (while it's true they don't offer soba noodles or a bottle of Yakult, you'll still be touched by their attentive service). Plus, you can do laundry. If you have tattoos, you can buy some tattoo cover-ups beforehand. Although they're not super strict, there are signs indicating no visible tattoos. The room is small, and the bathroom is tiny, but for a one-night stay, it's perfectly fine. For around 300 yuan, what more could you ask for? Overall, I think it's very convenient and has a lot of character. If you're visiting a new city and don't have a specific hotel in mind, Dormy Inn is a pretty good choice. (It's definitely a significant step up from APA, Toyoko, or Smile hotels).

After leaving Akita Station, I walked for quite a while (the path was wide and easy to navigate), but the location is absolutely superb. Senso Park is diagonally across, and the Prefectural Museum is right next door. The next morning, I was able to take a stroll in Senso Park while the air was fresh, and then the museum opened at 10 AM, so I popped in for a quick 5-minute look around. The room wasn't huge, but I was surprisingly able to fully open my 28-inch suitcase. There was also a metal rack in the room, perfect for hanging clothes worn during the day but not needing to be washed immediately. The front desk thoughtfully provided a Chinese version of the hotel guide, which detailed the onsen opening hours, free ramen availability, breakfast times, Wi-Fi, and which floors had vending machines, microwaves, and ice makers. It was incredibly considerate! Akita city itself honestly doesn't have much to do, and shops close early in the evening, which is where the advantage of a hot spring hotel really shines! After soaking in the onsen (there's an outdoor one too!), you can enjoy free massage chairs (super large, luxurious, and comfortable). In the evening, there are free ice pops (choose from 4 flavors), and from 9:30 PM to 11 PM, there's free late-night ramen on the 1st floor (it's incredibly delicious! Just needs a little extra water as Japanese ramen can be a bit salty, but the flavor is truly excellent!). In the morning, Yakult is available for free on the onsen floor (from 5 AM to 10 AM). I stayed for two nights, and my favorite and most anticipated part of each day was returning to the hotel in the evening to shower, soak in the onsen, sit in the massage chairs, and eat ice pops.