GLAMP ELEMENT

The first "Welcome Baby Inn" certification in Shiga Prefecture

GLAMP ELEMENT is a glamping resort inside Green Park Santo in Maibara, Shiga Prefecture. It was the first property in Shiga Prefecture to be certified as a "Welcome Baby Inn" by the Mikihouse Child-Rearing Research Institute, and even by national standards its provision for families traveling with babies is unusually thorough.

The "Baby Plan," stocked with more than 20 kinds of baby items

If you are traveling with a baby or a young child, you can switch a Premium Cabin (capacity 4, about 71 square meters) to the "Baby Plan." This special plan is limited to Premium Cabins and to a maximum of 2 cabins per day, so booking early is essential. It comes with baby food (manma Shiki no Rinyushoku, two meals covering dinner and breakfast, for babies aged 5 to 11 months), a baby tableware set, a baby-bottle sterilizer, a formula-preparation pot, a baby-bottle sponge and baby detergent, a baby bib, a nursing cushion, hand-and-mouth wipes and bottom wipes, a diaper trash bin, a step stool for the washbasin, a baby chair (adjustable in height and footrest), a baby gate, joint mats, a baby life jacket, toys (picture books, a push walker and building blocks), a teepee tent, a baby bath and baby bath mat, bath toys, a children's body soap usable from a newborn's first baths, a duck thermometer and a folding toilet-training seat. On request, the resort can also provide a crib (including one with a mosquito net for the terrace), powdered formula and diapers.

With this much on hand, you can come with a baby and leave behind almost all of the bulkiest baby gear a trip with a baby usually calls for. A humidifier is also available to borrow free of charge. Children aged 0 to 1 stay free and are not counted in the number of guests, and strollers may be brought in.

Three tiers of meals to match your child's age

Dinner and breakfast are both served on your cabin's deck, with a concierge handling everything from preparation and cooking to clearing away. You eat as a family without worrying about other guests, so there is no need to panic if a child gets fussy. The deck has a roof, so meals go ahead in the rain as well.

Meals are set by age. Children aged 5 to 12 get a kids' menu that changes with the season, with dishes such as lasagna-style gratin, mini Hamburg steak, a large fried prawn and dinosaur-shaped chicken. Children aged 2 to 4 who have not yet started elementary school can choose an optional toddler plate at 2,400 yen each for breakfast and dinner, with items such as meatballs, penne cheese gratin, fried chicken and smiley-face potatoes. Meals are not normally included for children of this age, so families either share an adult's or an elementary schooler's meal or add the toddler plate. Allergies are handled individually if you contact the resort in advance.

Natural grass to run around on, a sandbox, and a 100-meter slide one minute away

The grounds, a former golf course, are covered end to end in natural grass, so a child who takes a tumble is less likely to be badly hurt. Activities are included in the room rate: a sandbox with sand-play items and play equipment, the 100-meter Dragon Slider near the resort (free of charge), a private canoe provided at every accommodation unit, natural-grass putting golf, and OgoSport and Molkky, both of which children can enjoy. Within the same Green Park Santo grounds there is also Forest Adventure Maibara, with a zip line and a suspension bridge (discount tickets are available).

All-inclusive stays and the practicalities of bathing

The room rate alone covers meals, drinks (an all-you-can-drink menu of more than 120 items), activities and the communal bath. The communal bath is not on the resort grounds: guests use Bihada no Yu, a minute's walk away, and the usage fee is included in the room rate. In-room bathing depends on the unit type. The Villa and Premium Cabin have a toilet and a bath, with a spacious jacuzzi bath in the Villa; Raindrop and Twin Dome have a toilet and a shower room; and Lotus Tent and White Dome guests use the shared showers and toilets in the shower building. The Premium Cabin used for the Baby Plan has a bathroom with a separate washing area, so you can bathe together with your child. The water is heated bathwater, not onsen. Whether children who are not yet out of diapers may use the communal bath is not stated, so please confirm in advance.

Children aged 5 and over count toward the capacity, while there is no limit on the number of children aged 4 and under, though beds are provided only for the number of guests within the capacity. The Villa sleeps 6, Raindrop sleeps 2, and the other room types sleep 4. Raindrop alone is limited to one baby or toddler co-sleeping. Fireworks are prohibited on the resort grounds, but hand-held fireworks can be enjoyed on the dirt ground within the adjoining Green Park Santo, until 10 p.m.