LiVEMAX Resort Kinugawa

To sum things up, I would say that everything at this hotel looks like it is falling apart. The room was reasonably clean, but smelled like cigarettes even though we had explicitly asked for a non-smoking room. They even gave us an ash tray to not use. The dinner and breakfast were laughably bad. So bad that it kind of became good, because at least I have a good story to tell to friends and family. The private onsen is nice and romantic, the water is very warm and relaxing. Nice to have a few drinks and relax. I came during the coronavirus; I think during my stay the entire hotel was staffed by about 3 people at any given time. All of this would not be such a problem, but I paid about 19,000 yen, which is far too much for what was offered.

Good location with nice bath tub on the balcony. Definitely enjoy the open air bath while it's snowing outside. 1 of our 3 rooms has very strong cigarette odors (which is not mine so I won't dock a point on that)

Great location for private hot springs on your room's balcony. Quiet surrounds with a small waterfall and suspension bridge over the river opposite. Rooms are quite spacious and have good hot springs and bathroom facilities. The only weird thing is you must take off your shoes and put them in a locker before you even reach reception, and you are supposed to leave them there until you leave the hotel. So you have to wear their second-hand slippers around the hotel and to their restaurant. The food that they offer for breakfast and dinner is very similar, and didn't change over two nights, which is a bit boring. They have a "gym", but it's in a state of poor repair, as are the other games room facilities.

There is a nice bridge behind the hotel for your to explore and take photos. Facilities are abit dated and need improvements. There is a private outdoor onsen in your room that you can use.

If you like crowds and noise - this is NOT the place for you. If you want your own cast iron tub and indoor and outdoor facility - then this IS the place for you. If you want status and to be seen - then find another place.