Name: Hoshino Resorts Oirase Keiryu Hotel
Address: 231 Tochikubo Okuse, Towada, Towada, Towada, 034-0398, Japan
Rating: 9

24-hour reception

Elevator/lift

Smoke-free property

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Wheelchair Accessible

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Free Wi-Fi

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Pets Not Allowed

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Aomori Airport

Misawa Airport

Hoshino Resorts Oirase Keiryu Hotel

Towada

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My wife and I went to Tohoku of Japan for a vacation, and the Oirase Gorge and the Tsutanuma Ponds of Aomori were two of the highlights of the trip.  Our visiting days were within the peak weeks of the Momiji season, and we could not secure a room directly from the hotel website even three months ahead.  We stayed in a regular room of the Resort for three nights and it was quite expensive at this peak season period.  Nonetheless, the location of the Resort at the northeasterly end of the walking trail of the Gorge and at the south side of the Tsutanuma Ponds, together with the free hourly shuttle bus, conferred the convience we hoped for.

The trail of the Gorge is 14km and is described to be a 5-hour walk.  We explored a few sections separately, and our strolling, photographing, eating and exploring turned up to take a double of the time recommended.  The hotel shuttle bus provided a round trip transportation to a handful of notable checkpoints, with four stops and the farthest (fourth) one from the resort at the Kumoi-no-taki falls, which is at about the midway of the whole trail.  You can hop back on the shuttle at the fixed time of the hour at either of the four stops to get to the other stops or back to the hotel.  Another major stop is the Ishigedo (second stop) where there are a cafeteria, a small shop and a restroom.  If you miss the shuttle, you can still take the public bus.  The Resort also offers an open-top double decker running along the trail a couple of times a day, but we have not tried it.

For the meals, there are very few options of dinner around the area.  You have to make a reservation (latest by the morning) for the dinner buffet at the Ringo Kitchen of the Resort, which serves some interesting apple-themed items, and has slightly different dishes alternating every other day (Ringo means apple which Aomori is famous for).  The crowdedness and noises were what you expected from a buffet restaurant.  For the more prestiged french restaurant (Sonore) of the Resort, you have to make the reservation at least three days ahead (so probably before you arrive).  Their breakfast is also buffet-styled and served japanese and western choices at the same Ringo Kitchen.  If you are tired of the buffet breakfast, there is a lovely terrace breakfast by the stream side which also requires advance booking three days ahead and with an extra fee.

We stayed in the east wing with a north facing room.  The room is clean and the toilet/bath is good.  Our room was on the floor of the reception and were near the campfire lobby, but it was not noisy.  It was just a pity that the momiji came a bit late this year and was not at its height during our stay, and the expensive room with its big window did not yield the best it could offer.

We were served by Mr Timothy Takahara at the reception.  He spoke very good English and explained everything in details during the check-in.  He also helped us in various reservations.  We later realized that he also waited in the Ringo Kitchen.   He was pleasant and we chatted a bit.  He even showed us out after our buffet dinner.  He recommended us a few restaurants in the Towada City when we decided to take a half hour drive away from the Resort to try something local.

There were some free juices, wines and nuts by the campfire common area.  However, it would be nice if water and ice were available as well.  There were a few mini live music performances in the evening on certain days, and some slide shows and talks (in japanese) as well.  

The outdoor onsen has an infinity-pool-like edge and is by the side of the stream.  The checkout time is 12 noon which is convenient.  There is a small shop in the Resort, but if they can also offer some light lunchboxes or onigiri or sandwiches, that will be handy for our planning on the morning and afternoon walks and other activities.

Our overall experience was nice and the stay was relaxing.  



Base camp for the Oirase Gorge area

Located near the entrance to the Oirase River, it is one of the best hotels in the area.  It has a big reception area, a big lounge area, and basically a big hotel.Free flow of drinks and snacks are available in the lobby lounge. In fact there are two lounges in the hotel.

We have a river facing room, though we can not see the river but seeing the forest. The room is of decent size, with separate shower and toilet. It is an onsen hotel so we normally take the bath in the bath onsen. There is a split type cool/warm air conditioner installed inside the room so you can adjust the temperature and wind speed to your liking. The room has a big window so you can see the outside forest very clearly.

The onsen has a vast outdoor onsen area with no roof, so if it is snowing the snow will fall right on your head.

There are only two restaurants in the hotel. A buffet restaurant where guests dine for breakfast and dinner. There is another a French restaurant for dinner only. We dined at the buffet restaurant only. The buffet restaurant, which is located on the ground floor by the garden, offers a wide variety of food choices and most importantly, good quality of food. Not to mention a very high standard of service staff at the restaurant.

The hotel offers quite many activities, such as free shuttle along the trail of Oirase river, open top bus, star gazing tour, lamp making class, etc. The hotel even provides walking boots for the guests. When the weather is good, outdoor breakfast, afternoon tea are also available. You may have to reserve a consecutive of two nights with the hotel. Given the reasonable price tag, I strongly recommend Hoshino Oirase.

Pleasant stay

In July, when the weather was beginning to get quite hot in Tokyo, we decided to escape the heat and crowds by spending a few days in Aomori. We wanted a nice hotel, off the beaten path, while being a place which wasn’t too hard to get to. 

After looking at what was available in Aomori, we decided to try the Oirase Keiryu hotel, which is located about 7 miles from Towada lake. This area is famous for its forests and natural scenery, its numerous streams, waterfalls, and wildlife. 

Access to Amori is easy, we took the Tohoku Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo Station to Hachinohe, which takes under 3 hours. From Hachinohe we rented a car from the Times Rental Car which is almost in front of the station. It takes about 90 minutes to get from Hachinohe to the hotel, though the hotel does offer shuttle bus service to the station. We chose to rent a car because there are many things within driving distance to see. 

The Oriase Keiryu hotel lies in a small valley alongside a river which runs from Towada lake. The drive from the train station to the hotel takes you through farm land and small towns. As there are few shops or stores near the hotel, it is a good idea to stock up on sundries at a convenience store or at the station before you get on the shuttle bus. 

Our rental car (a Mazda) had a navigation system which could be set to English, but I found my iPhone maps app offered a faster route. However, the route chosen by my phone took me alongside small farm roads, and a couple bridges which were too narrow for two-way traffic. But as there was almost no traffic along the route, this wasn’t an issue. 

After reaching the hotel, we found free parking near the entrance, and were quickly checked in. One great thing about Japanese hotels is that the service is always first rate, and tipping is not permitted. Our bags were promptly picked up at our car, and taken to our room. 

The Oriase Keiryu hotel is a combination of buildings with an older wing and a newer wing. The new wing (where we stayed) was a considerable distance from the lobby, but in Japan people are used to walking everywhere, so this was no real issue. The new part of the building is wonderfully decorated, with a couple of beautiful lobbies which offer coffee, tea, books and comfortable places to sit, indoors or outdoors. 

A good thing about this hotel is the wide variety of rooms, which can be had from less than $100 per night to $1500 per night. One thing I noticed as we were heading to our room was a rather strong smell. To some it might smell like an old building or something else, but I recognized it as the smell of onsen (hot spring) water. The hotel has an onsen baths for men and women, these are located in the newer wing of the hotel. 

As it happened, my wife had booked the best room in the hotel, which was a 2 bedroom suite. This was literally the most beautiful hotel room we have ever seen, and we have stayed at some wonderful hotels. 

The room featured two separate bedrooms with two beds in each, a large kitchen (with a tiny stove), a large living/dining room with a beautiful sofa and a large dining table capable of seating 6 people. Also included with the room was a very large balcony overlooking the river, the balcony had a large hot spring bath which could easily be used by 6 people. 

Our room included a minibar which was stocked with the usual drinks, as well as locally brewed beer, and, of course apple juice, as Aomori is famous for apples. 

The hotel features a couple of nice restaurants, and has a buffet breakfast and dinner. The food was better than average compared to what you typically find in Japanese onsen resort hotels. With the pandemic over, the hotel was crowded with Japanese and some Taiwanese tourists, though the dining room was run so efficiently that there were minimal waits, and the kitchen never ran out of any dishes. 

We ordered room service meals for dinner and breakfast on two occasions, and these were set up on the dining table in our room. These meals were excellent, and the staff returned promptly to clean the table and take away the dishes. 

We wanted to see the river and the lake during our stay, so we booked a 4 hour tour at the front desk, and a driver/tour guide took us to see the river, and then to the lake. He stopped at the most interesting viewpoints, and we were all impressed with the amazing scenery. You will never see so many varieties of green, or so many waterfalls within such a small area. It was simply fantastic. 

Eventually we ended up at Towada Lake, which is formed in the basin of a collapsed volcano. The lake is quite large, and takes some time to drive around. There were almost no tourists in the area, in truth, much of the area around the lake was much like a collection of small ghost towns. 

Back in the 80’s and 90’s, the lake was a hot spot for Japanese tourists, but after the collapse of the “bubble economy” of the early 90’s, and later the “great recession,” most of the tourists stopped coming. This is a great shame, because the area is so amazingly beautiful. 

However, there are a few places which are still open, and one can book a sightseeing trip of the lake on a Zodiac boat. As there are more foreign tourists coming to Japan, hopefully some of them will find their way up to Towada lake. 

Near the lake we found some small parks, a campground, and a couple downsized tourist shops. Later during our stay we took an open-top bus tour which brought us to these places, where we were sure to buy ice cream, drinks, and some souvenirs to bring home. 

Another thing I did was to rent a e-bike at the hotel lobby, which I rode all the way to the lake, which is 12km away, and then back. The power assist feature made getting over the hills easy. Cycling is popular in the area, and I saw numerous other cyclists on the road. Cycling is safer in Japan than in other places as drivers make way for bicycles. This is because in an accident with a bicycle, a car driver is automatically considered at fault, and any accident involving an injury is considered a crime. 

Hiking is another thing which you can enjoy, there is a trail which follows the river all the way to the lake, and this was very popular with guests at the hotel. There is a visitors center about halfway where one can use the restroom, or buy drinks and snacks. 

One of the less-good things about the Oirase Keiryu hotel is the lack of nearby shops or stores. There are a couple of places which sell drinks and snacks, but the variety of things isn’t great. There is a pizza restaurant nearby which seems to be popular with the few locals, but the pizza wasn’t very good, though I couldn’t complain about the beer. 

If you are coming to Japan and want to see a really beautiful place which isn’t drowned with crowds, and, if you are coming in summer, and want a place which isn’t hot and humid, I recommend the Oirase Keiryu hotel. It’s a place you’ll love, and will never forget. 



Amazing, a hidden gem

Highly disappointing experience with a luxury resort that is unable to control your room's temperature. 

While I fully understand the resort tries to make things easy for each guest, this is a basic requirement at non-luxury properties. 

To that end, the resort provided us with fans for cooling down a heated room. Wasn't expecting this from a luxury resort at all. 

No temperature  control inside your room

It's great experience dining in this French restaurant.
We have dinner on Jan 9th, start from 6pm and finished until 9pm with the food was beyond amazing, and the service was just excellent.
The waitress served us spoke very good English, expertise food knowledge, all the time smiling face and a lot of patient !!! If I remember wrongly, her name is 小川凛華.
Thanks for giving us a memorable night !!!!!

Great Place & Excellent Experience

A resort hotel in the middle of the northern Japan mountains. 1:40 minutes by bus from Aomori station. Spacious, comfortable and enjoyable, Ideal place to rest without many distracting activities around. The hotel tries to provide some activities though like lantern making workshops.(which is nice). A trip to a frozen water stream was organized for free, 45 min by bus. As you have time, you can join it. The room was spacious , the toilet and bathrooms were separated, the shower room was good with a good shower rain power. The hotel is spacious enough and you need to walk a lot within it to reach common areas.  For people not aware of it, the Hoshino group has bought this old existing place although in a still good condition and is doing reforms to upgrade the installations, even though I felt it was nice enough. As it is old, some places may not have an adequate heating system during winter time, but still enjoyable. The best was the restaurant, we enjoyed the variety of food available, and as it is in a rural area, the quality of the vegetables were top, it has been a long time I didn't eat tasty veggies.Meat and seafood were also served and these were very good. It was crowded with many overseas visitors so the meals are set in shifts, breakfast was scheduled to 6:45, what may not be the ideal if you are coming for a rest...but overall, a place to praise.

Nice place to rest but with a price

Most staff are friendly but few are arrogant and impatient, possibly they had enough dealing with tourists. 
It changed my overall impression of Japanese service, the one-star hotel I stayed before could even provide better service
Poor wifi signal
Nice room and lobby view

Nice view but a bit overpriced

Summary:
- Great experience overall near Oirase Keiryu.
- Don't make the same mistake as we did.  Spend a few extra thousand yen ($20 or so USD) for a "Modern" room or a Japanese-style room.  Avoid the "Twin Room."  If possible, ask for a room at the new East Wing.
- If you don't mind bees, don't be afraid of using the apple-scented shampoo and then go to the outdoor onsen.

Location: 5 stars
Staff: 5 stars
Service: 5 stars
Breakfast: 5 stars
Lounges: 5 stars
Room: 3 stars (for the price compared to other rooms in the hotel)

We had a wonderful stay.  Everything about this hotel was perfect and just what you would expect from Hoshino.  The lobby is modern and stylish, the food was beyond amazing, and the service was just excellent.  The only exception was the Twin Room that we chose.

The room we stayed at was located at the West Wing, which is much older than the new East Wing.  The room was clean, but due to its age, I felt like I stayed at a history museum that showcased 5-star hotel rooms from the 70s.  The furniture was a little worn out. There was no central air conditioning (or an AC with remote control); instead, you need to use the old machine that hid in the corner, which comes with a dial.  I remember the last time I saw one of those was at a motel room in Arizona in the 90s.  You need to walk to the machine and manually turn the dial every time you want to change the settings.  

You could also tell how old the room was by its smell.  Thoughtfully, they provided a bottle of deodorizing spray.  I expected the room to be a lot nicer for its $500 USD price tag.  But I'm the one to blame as I didn't opt for the "Modern Room" nor one of the Japanese-style rooms.  If I go back in the future, I will definitely pay $20 more for a newer room.  I just didn't expect the room could be THAT old.

That was the only complaint during the stay. Everything else was perfect.  The apple scented shampoo smelled so good that it attracted a few bees when I went to the outdoor onsen.  So I would recommend using the regular shampoo, and only use the delicious smelling apple shampoo after you're done with the outdoor onsen.

They also have free rental boots that were perfect for the hike along the river.  The trails could be muddy, so make sure you pick up a pair before heading out.

Overall, we had a great time.  The staff was super friendly and helpful.  The free shuttle for the hiking trail was excellent with hourly departures.  Also the 12pm checkout time worked really well for the morning hike after breakfast.

I will stay here again if I visit again, but at a different room for sure.

Wonderful location with amazing breakfast

This Hoshino Resort is a wonderful place you will never forget! Much more than a hotel in the Famous Oirase Keiryu National Park, it frames & highlights nature as a new experience. 

The two stunning sculptures commissioned by Chairman Hoshino are magnificent artwork by Okamoto Taro, yet meant to be used & enjoyed in real life-one as an actual fireplace chimney.  Sit in the bar after dark & enjoy the tree trunks lit up outside creating a magical scene while the crackle of the fireplace warms the heart. 

Both public baths are great & be sure to make a reservation for the shuttle to take you to the mixed-couples hot springs overlooking the famous 9-Stage Waterfall (ladies: they have a cape for wearing in the bath). 

And the food--Wonderfully Creative with Local products, was delicious, better than some of the Michelin restaurants we ate at in Europe. The FUKI Ice Cream--so unexpected, so inspiring!

We actually visited in April '15, & never having forgotten our stay, are now planning another visit in the autumn.

Unforgettable Stay- Hot Mineral Sprigs, Artwork, Nature, & FUKI Ice Cream!

It’s our second time staying at the Oirase Keiryu Hotel but there’re still many pleasant surprises – the lobby has undergone some face-lift since our first stay in the previous winter. There’s a massage chair for our private use in the room. We tried the dinner buffet this time and were impressed by the quality of the foods, which was truly a gourmet meal. Even by the high service standards in Japan, theirs are excellent. We found out that we left something in the onsen when we checked out. Their staff went out of the way to search, locate and bring it to us before we left for our bus ride. Commendable! We would love to come back again – maybe next time in summer so we can enjoy not only the hotel but also the famous trails starting right next to it.

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