Marukoma Onsen Ryokan

Off the beaten path, isolated on Lake Shikotsu next to Mount Eniwa an active volcano. But that’s where the Onsen gets its water. Beautiful location, friendly and helpful service. The hotel has a lot of history so lots to look at and explore. Breakfast buffet was very good even an omelette chef behind the counter. Room was Japanese style so no Western furniture, yep you’re sleeping on the floor. The Onsen was very nice with 3 indoor pools and two outside. Would like to visit the place again during a different season.

The hot spring ryokan that I was most looking forward to. It is a natural hot spring that is well-known for hot spring lovers, and is integrated with nature, with the depth and temperature of the hot spring changing depending on the height of the lake. The building feels dilapidated, but the area around the lobby has been modernized and feels modern. It is a hot spring that I had hoped for, but as explained at the front desk, it is the middle of November and the open-air hot spring is very warm. It's been very cold since I left, but when I got back to my room, my body was feeling warm. I think it is several times more satisfying if it is not in winter. The atmosphere and the quality of the springs are wonderful. The indoor bath has a slightly iron-containing smell, giving the impression that it is similar to Ikaho Onsen. The men had three separate hot tubs, heated, medium and high. (The women's bath was two hot tubs) There is also a sauna and a hot spring bath. Dinner was moderate, but the sashimi was delicious. The morning buffet was also good. You can only enter the hot springs until 9:00 a.m., but you are allowed to take photos of the hot springs from 9:10 a.m., which makes you upload photos of the tubs. The futon mattress in the room is also comfortable, and the view over Lake Shikotsu is amazing. It was a very wonderful onsen ryokan with a strong sense of seclusion, including its location.

We thouroughly enjoyed our stay in this ryokan situated at the Shikotsu lake side. The service was friendly and welcoming and the location is really something else. The hotel is situated in the forest next to the lake. No other building in the neighbourhood. Which makes staying here quite a special experience. The hotel was founded in 1915 and they our proud of their history. The building could use some touching up here and there. But the harsh weather conditions must erode this building faster than normal. I really enjoyed the breakfast view on the lake. We got separate chairs and a small table juist big enough for our breakfast platter. The breakfast buffet is very good, but the dinner makes this stay unforgettable. We loved the traditional ryokan style dinner. Every evening was a feast for the senses. Loved the fact that they served their own saké. The hotel has its own shop and lots of vending machines, you can also heat up you own food. Lots of amenities are provided. Our room did not get cleaned during our stay, but fresh towels and home wear were available at the reception desk. The room was a classic style room with tatami mats. We slept on thick mattrasses on the tatami mats, which were very comfortable. Be warned though: the rooms are not equipped with a shower. You should use the communal onsen or book a private onsen. The onsen was the highlight of our stay here. It was a pleasure to enjoy the different baths, especially the outside bath with lake view. The original onsen at lake level are also still in use. The water is naturally filtered through the rock bottom. Those onsen are pretty, but the water is less warm than the more modern onsen. Loved the fact that the hotel made it possible to take pictures of the empty onsen every day between 9.10u en 9.30u. A unique opportunity to take the memories of our stay home with us.