SHIJIMA ATAMI

The Luxury of Doing Nothing

I stayed here with my elderly mother. Atami is now popular with many younger visitors thanks to the retro boom, but although the station is visible just below after walking up the hill, this Hotel feels calm and refined, away from the bustle. Onsen Ryokan with large public baths are nice too, but they can sometimes feel like a bit of a hassle, so we made a Reservation because the Room has a semi-open-air bath. We could bathe anytime without worrying about others, and even on an extremely hot day it was comfortable while still feeling the summer sun. The amenities were excellent, including soft bathrobes, and having separate loungewear and sleepwear helped us relax throughout our stay. The lounge also has a footbath, but in the daytime summer heat it was hard to stay in for long. Instead, we took our time in the indoor lounge enjoying drinks and sweets. For dinner we had teppanyaki. Almost everything was from Shizuoka, and the chef explained each item—conversation was enjoyable as well. The meat and shellfish were of course delicious, but it was also rare to have grilled hamo (pike conger) and Amela tomatoes, which we truly enjoyed. The non-alcohol pairing was outstanding. Breakfast also focused on local ingredients; the portions were just right—not too much or too little—and we enjoyed it slowly. As it had only just opened this month, some staff seemed still getting used to things, but they spoke to us thoughtfully in many ways and we could really feel their hospitality. From check-in to check-out we were able to take it easy and enjoy a wonderful summer holiday. I would love to return in another season to enjoy the luxury of doing nothing again. Thank you for taking such good care of us.