Family-Friendly Hotels in Odate, Kazuno & Hachimantai: Nature and Hot Springs

When you start looking for a family stay in Odate, Kazuno or Hachimantai, it is hard to know what to judge by. This part of northern Akita Prefecture is known as the gateway to Towada Hachimantai National Park, and its appeal is that hot spring towns and mountain drives fit into a single itinerary. Because the bases for sightseeing are split between Yuze Onsen, central Odate and Kazuno, though, the first fork in the road is deciding where to stay so that your children do not wear out.

The key to this area is that your base changes with your purpose. If you want to drive across Hachimantai or head toward Lake Towada, the Kazuno and Yuze side makes sense; if you would rather be near a station and shops, central Odate is the practical choice. The characters of the two are clearly different. With small children, the longer the time in the car, the harder it is to keep everyone in good spirits, so the realistic plan is to pick one destination you really want to see and stay two or more nights nearby. We list 6 properties here, ranging from hot spring ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) to hotels that also see plenty of business travelers, so there is something for most travel styles.

As a first filter, whether a hotel has washitsu (traditional tatami-mat rooms) matters a great deal. In a tatami room you can lay out futon mattresses side by side on the floor, so there is no worry about a child rolling off a bed. Yuze Hotel and Kamenoi Hotel Akita Yuze in Yuze Onsen both have Japanese-style and Japanese-Western rooms, layouts that are easy to move around in with a baby. For bathing, Yuze Hotel offers private reservable baths, in-room baths and rooms with their own open-air bath, which suits families who would rather not worry about other guests. The water is a simple spring, a gentle type that is reassuring for babies with sensitive skin.

It is also worth checking what baby gear is on hand. Kamenoi Hotel Akita Yuze has diaper bins, low-irritation baby soap and shampoo, a kettle for mixing formula, bottle sterilizing and stroller rental, and the hotel also lists bringing in and warming baby food, toddler meal menus and allergy accommodation. Annex Royal Hotel can provide a baby bathtub, so even infants too young for the big communal bath are covered. In the drier seasons, places that lend humidifiers and air purifiers, such as Grand Park Hotel Odate, Royal Hotel Odate and Hotel Route-Inn Odate Eki-Minami, are a real help.

The seasons here are easy to read, too. Summer brings the cool of the highlands, autumn the fall colors in the mountain valleys, and winter snowy scenery paired with hot springs, so there is a way to enjoy any time of year with children. A relaxed checkout time keeps the day from feeling rushed, so it helps to remember the options that offer late checkout, such as Yuze Hotel and Grand Park Hotel Odate.