Ofuro Cafe Utatane

I liked the ofuro and the various pools. Food was good. Lots of space to plug in and use computer/iPhone. They need to work on the info for foreigners_ poor grammer, difficult to understand. Our room 214 - the paint was cracked in two spots. We did ask for two twin beds and prefer floor space in between as shown in picture online. They serve free coffee if one drinks it which i don't and there was no alternative except once or twice during our four day stay. They could provide a map of the area showing where Stellar Mall is and other touristy sites. The clothing they want us to wear is not breathable material. The rail lines are noisy during the day'evening. I'm glad to experience this place - 2 to 3 days are best. I'm glad to see the local people utilize the place as well. DON'T POST PLEASE

Safe

This is a very unique, spa-hotel with amazing things to discover! We had a great time! I will prefix this by saying that if you want a tradition hotel, this might not be for you. Our room was small but comfortable, the bed reminded me more of a ryokan than a western hotel with a small sink and toilet. The shower stations and onsen are where you can bathe, shave and dry your hair. This is a communal onsen. I did wish the towels were newer but overall it didn’t really bother me. We really enjoyed the morning breakfast special, it was 880 yen and very filling. There are many areas of the spa-hotel to explore, like the massage chair room, hammock space and fire place. There is also a children’s play room. You need to remove your shoes when you enter and lock them in a locker, one day we kept our key and one day they asked to keep the key behind the desk. There is also free coffee and tea. We would definitely stay here again and would like to spend more time at the hotel next time. We really were only there to sleep and eat breakfast but did explore it in the mornings because we were often up very early. Recommend for people who enjoy a funky and cool atmosphere!

Amazing, highly recommended.

Horrible. First and last. Maybe its because I am gaijin and used to gaijin style hotels

Very fun hotel concept, with a great public bath and huge collection of books/games/mangas. Very convenient if you plan to visit the train museum (5 minutes by walk). The food in the cafe was also excellent

Like the style of the hotel with different types of hot spring. Very energetic .

The place is a more of a spa with a hotel attached. I stayed on a week night, it was full of young couples lounging around in matching PJs. I was the only foreigner there. The staff speaks very little English, so I had to get by with my limited Japanese. Even though the hotel is right next to the tracks and a bit far from the station, the soundproofing is excellent. The café’s menu is Japanese only, but the food was really good. The baths were enjoyable. I beleieve they also offer massages and facials for an extra fee.

Exceeded our expectations. Many amenities available and the onsen was a lot more than pictured. A very relaxing place! Would love to come back again.

Tres bien Only problem was my teen-age "Princess teen-age grand daughter wanted a personal shower - not one downstairs with other women.

Not that good place.. Maybe they should include any complimentary food with the price of the stay.. But the ofuro is really good,, i reall like it especially the estee bath...

When I got to the hotel after an overnight flight they charged my credit card and then told me I could not check in until 6pm. Also I had to check out by 10am. Offers to pay additional fee for early check in were refused. Communication in English is a big problem at this hotel, almost impossible. Eventually they let me inspect an unoccupied room which was already cleaned and ready for the next occupant. The room was small but clean. When I saw that the bathroom consisted of a toilet and wash basin only, with no shower I refused to stay there even if the money I had paid was a total loss. I managed to find another hotel with a larger bedroom and full bathroom facilities

Hated public bathing only. Was great for rest but wouldnt stay again because of it.

The hotel was my first in Japan with a bathhouse. Upon entering, you are required to take off your shoes and store them in a locker by the lobby. Take the key to the locker and give it to the front desk in exchange for your room key upon checking in. You will also get issued a pajama type to sleep/wonder around and a bracelet with barcode on it. That bracelet will be used to charge any items you order (food, drinks, massage, etc). You have to pay any charges when you check out or if you leave the hotel to go wander around. If you don't speak Japanese, they will also give you some notes to read about the rules and how to enjoy your stay at the hotel. The restaurant food is amazing. I reserved the hotel that comes with breakfast and was not disappointed. I will definitely go back. It's a nice place to getaway when you want to stay away from the big city and rest your worries away.

this hotel is not your comfort stay: check-in after 6:00PM and boot you out at 10PM next day. Better line up at 8:40 AM. we had a two day stay and survived by getting luggage looked after. this was not good at all and ruined plans. read the fine print on conditions and don't assume the average hotel usage for consecutive nights--they booted us out. this owner is navigating everything to his financial advantage. not good for travelors that want rest for even one night, never a place to stay for two nights..

It is a nice hotel. I enjoyed my time there. At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay there. I noticed right away that there was no shower in my room, only a toilet and a sink. You have to take a shower or bathe in the public area. If you are shy, you may be uncomfortable with this idea. The nice thing about this but shower area is that there is a lot of hot water many areas to take advantage of. There are showers, a sauna, hot pool, Jacuzzi and a warm mineral spring (Qnsen). My wife hit the panic button and was ready to evacuate when she realized we didn't have our own shower. We were hot, tired and had no other place to go. We weren't allowed to check in until 6 PM but you can use the facilities in the meantime. We stayed for the night. The next day we realized we felt more relaxed and were getting used to the idea of the public bath. We extended our stay to five days. If you have tattoos, this is not a good place for you. Anyone with tattoos is forbidden to use the public areas, if I understand the literature. Brush up on your Japanese, or bring your Google translate. The staff speaks very little English. You will be out in the middle of small town. There is a shopping mall nearby, but not much else in walking distance. Plan to spend the time relaxing if you go there.

I booked Hotel Utatane for my business trip. I never saw my room. check in was 6:00pm and had to check out every day at 10:00am. I left af3er a few hours and stayed at another the Plaza hotel near Omiya

We booked here because we couldn't find anything closer to Omiya Station where we needed to be to visit family. We were not disappointed with our choice for the money. The place is very hip and the staff friendly, though not too strong with English. We really enjoyed the cafe for late night drinks and desserts. Only warning to foreigners.... There is no mention in the hotel information that rooms do not include a shower or ofuro bath. You must use the public ofuro for showering. Toilets and sinks are provided in each room. After some investigation, we did find shower stalls (open area) in the public bath area in addition to the traditional sit down bathing. So if you are shy...be warned. We did not have time to use the baths, but they were beautiful and the entire complex was quite pleasant.

This was a great hotel, with a modern atmosphere. The ofuro experience was great! Food was also nice. Only negative is that there were some spiderwebs in the toilet room, could have been cleaned a bit better.

Great experience to go to in Japan. Recommended hotel to stay if you are visiting this area of japan