Timeless scenery and retro luxury are waiting for travelers in Atami.
Usually, when you hear about a hotel in Japan with a classical style, it’s a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) that people are talking about. On one of our recent trips, though, we stayed in a hotel that evokes not thoughts of Japan’s samurai era, but the good old days of the Showa period and bubble economy.
The Hotel New Akao, in the town of Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, opened in 1970, almost exactly in the middle of the post-war part of the Showa era (which as a whole lasted from 1926 to 1989). It was a time when Japan’s economic recovery had come far enough for people to start enjoying the finer things in life, like luxurious leisure travel to seaside resorts and hot spring towns, and with Atami being both of those, it became one of the era’s most popular destinations, and the Hotel New Akao was the crown jewel of Atami’s accommodation options.
Atami has lost some of its trendy luster in the years since, but recently it’s been getting attention again for its retro appeal. The New Akao is definitely full of that vintage atmosphere, but that’s just part of what makes it a great place to stay, as we found out during our stay.
To start with, the views are fantastic, and yes, that’s views, since there are all sorts of vantage points from which to admire the breathtaking surroundings.
This is thanks to both the hotel’s location and its design. The complex is built on a cliff right next to the ocean, providing unbroken views stretching out over the sea all the way to the horizon. On clear days you can see as far as the Boso Peninsula in Chiba, three prefectures east of Shizuoka.
Guestrooms are divided into two buildings, the Horizon Wing and Ocean Wing, but since they’re built on the upper and lower sections of the cliff, every single room has an ocean view, and many of the common-use areas do too. Outside of our room, the best photo spots we found were the Royal Lounge, on the second floor of the Horizon Wing, the open-air garden above the main dining hall of the Ocean Wing…
…and, our personal favorite, the balcony terrace that’s just off the lobby of the Ocean Wing.
The hotel’s interior design is where the aesthetics get retro, with elegant chandeliers, plush carpeting, and spacious ballrooms.
It’s an entirely different look from the understated minimalism you’ll find in many new hotels, a throwback to the idea that luxurious travel should feel like a special extra indulgence, as opposed to just stripping away the accumulated unpleasantries of daily life.
If you really want to talk a stroll back through yesteryear, the Nigiwai Yokocho section of the hotel is a recreation of a Showa-era entertainment street, with an old-school bar, dagashi candy shop, and retro arcade video game corner (though some of the games might actually hail from the Heisei-period ‘90s).
Ah, but we said above that Atami is a hot spring town, right? It sure is, and the New Akao has no fewer than three different hot spring bathing areas to soak in, each with indoor and outdoor sections.
The closest to the sea, pictured above, is the Namine, meaning “sound of the waves,” located on the first floor of the Ocean Wing. There’s also the Ayami (“colors of the sea”) bath section, up on the third floor of the Horizon Wing…
…and finally, on the floor that serves as both the first basement level of the Horizon Wing and the 15th floor of the Ocean Wing, is the Nishiki bath area, with an infinity pool-style design for its outdoor tubs that makes it look like the waters of the hot spring and the sea blend into each other.
Though each area is single-sex, they all switch over at mid-day, allowing both men and women to enjoy all of the baths and views during their stay.
We mentioned the main dining hall earlier, and one look at it will tell you that dinner at the New Akao is an opulent event.
The dinner buffet is a mix of Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes, the holy triumvirate of hotel buffets in Japan. With Atami being bordered by the sea on one side and the mountains on the other, there was a fantastic selection of local seafood and produce, and we partook of sashimi, fried shrimp, oden (vegetables simmered in dashi broth), and freshly carved roast beef. We hit the buffet again for breakfast the next morning, starting our day off with fried aji (horse mackerel), soy sauce-marinated red snapper, and French toast.
As you can see, you could easily spend your whole stay lounging, bathing, dining, and looking off contently at the ocean…or you could take advantage of all sorts of activities the New Akao offers.
▼ A board showing the day’s activities, with those that still have room for more participants marked with 空きあり.
Being right next to the ocean, there are marine activities like kayak and stand-up paddleboard tours, some which take you to nearby sea caves, and also snorkeling and fishing excursions. For indoor types there are lessons in accessory design, candle-making, and photography, and for those wanting to explore the town the hotel offers guided walking tours or bicycle rentals if you prefer to set your own course.
Like at many hot spring hotels, there are also day-use plans for the baths so that non-guests can make use of them too. But for the full experience, to get a sense of why people have been coming to this town, and this hotel in particular, for so many years, there’s nothing quite like spending the night at the New Akao.
Hotel information
Hotel New Akao / ホテルニューアカオ
Address: Shizuoka-ken, Atami-shi, Atami 1993-250
静岡県熱海市熱海1993-250
Website
In-bath photos provided by Hotel New Akao
All other photos ©SoraNews24
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