Hotel New Awaji

Hotel New Awaji in Sumoto, Japan, a distinguished Michelin Key Selected property, consistently receives high praise for its exceptional hospitality, luxurious amenities, and stunning seaside location. It offers a quintessential ryokan experience with modern comforts, making it a highly recommended destination for relaxation and gourmet dining.

1. Overall Rating & Sentiment

Hotel New Awaji is generally rated as "Excellent," with guest scores often around 8.8 out of 10 based on hundreds of reviews. The overwhelming sentiment is positive, with guests frequently describing their stays as wonderful, memorable, and relaxing.

2. Key Highlights

Guests consistently laud several aspects of Hotel New Awaji:

• Luxurious Onsen Facilities: The hotel is celebrated for its diverse and abundant hot spring options, including private onsens on room patios, open-air baths made of wood or stone, and access to three distinct bathhouses through "spa hopping" between its own facilities and those of its connected sister hotel, Awaji Yumesenkei.
• Spectacular Views: Many rooms and public areas offer breathtaking panoramic views of the sea, Kitan Strait, and Osaka Bay, with guests often enjoying beautiful sunrises from their rooms.
• Exceptional Service: The staff is frequently highlighted for being excellent, helpful, accommodating, friendly, and kind, with some familiar with English.
• Gourmet Dining: The food, particularly dinner and breakfast, is consistently described as delicious, delightful, and amazing, often served in the guest rooms.
• Spacious Rooms: Guests appreciate the large, clean, and comfortable rooms.
• Michelin Key Selection: As a Michelin Key Selected property, the hotel meets high standards for architecture, interior design, service consistency, unique personality, value, and overall guest experience.

3. Room Quality

The rooms at Hotel New Awaji are noted for being spacious, clean, and comfortable. Many offer splendid ocean views, and some even feature private onsens on their patios, allowing for a personal and peaceful bathing experience. The "Villa Rakuen" rooms, in particular, are highlighted as Japanese-style suites with their own open-air baths and private wooden terraces. The design blends modern sleek surfaces and clean lines with the warmth of natural materials, creating a minimalist yet inviting ryokan-style ambiance. Comfortable futons are also a common highlight.

4. Dining Experience

The dining experience at Hotel New Awaji is a significant draw, often receiving a high rating of 9.0 for food and dining. Guests praise the "amazing" and "delightful" meals, with both dinner and breakfast frequently served in the guest rooms, enhancing the private and luxurious feel. The cuisine emphasizes local ingredients from Awaji Island, known as "Miketsukuni Awaji Island" for its culinary treasures. This includes fresh seafood, seasonal vegetables, and Awaji Beef prepared in various styles like stone-roasted or shabushabu. Awaji Island onions are also a famous local specialty incorporated into dishes. The breakfast buffet offers a diverse selection of local and international dishes.

5. Service & Staff

The service and staff are consistently rated "excellent" (9.2) and "exceptional" by guests. They are described as very helpful, accommodating, friendly, kind, and polite. Many staff members are familiar with English, facilitating communication for international visitors. Guests appreciate the detailed explanations of facilities upon check-in and the practical advice provided for exploring local attractions.

6. Location & Accessibility

Hotel New Awaji is ideally situated on the east coast of Awaji Island, offering stunning views of the Kitan Strait and Osaka Bay. Awaji Island itself is a popular resort destination known for its natural beauty and local culinary specialties.

• Transportation: The hotel is accessible via bus from JR Maiko Station to Sumoto Bus Station (approximately 55 minutes across the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge), followed by a short, free shuttle service to the hotel (approximately 5 minutes).
• Car Access: It is about an 80-minute drive from Kobe and approximately 120 minutes from Osaka via the Hanshin Express Way and Akashi Kaikyo Bridge.
• Airport Access: From Kansai International Airport, it's about a 48-minute boat ride to Sumoto Port.

7. Value & Pricing

Hotel New Awaji generally receives a good rating for "value for money" (8.0-8.5). While it is considered a luxury experience, guests often find the higher price justified by the exceptional service, top-notch facilities, memorable dining, and stunning ocean views. Standard rates for a half-board plan can range from approximately 21,000 yen to 73,500 yen per person, including consumption tax and service charge, though prices vary depending on the specific room type and date of stay. The Michelin Key selection criteria emphasizes consistency between the price paid and the quality of the experience.

8. Common Complaints

While overall reviews are overwhelmingly positive, one notable complaint mentioned dissatisfaction with aspects of staff customer service, citing instances of perceived rudeness or unhelpfulness from a parking attendant, a shop employee, and corridor staff. This particular review felt that despite good room and food quality, the lack of thorough customer service training was disappointing, especially given the hotel's high reputation.

Sources

1. booking.com
2. agoda.com
3. livejapan.com
4. newawaji.com
5. michelin.com
6. itravelblog.net
7. goconnect.jp
8. zenlovetravel.com
9. youtube.com
10. ryokan.or.jp
11. newawaji-hotels.com
12. gfc-jp.com
13. ikyu.com