The three main elements of a ryokan or hotel are facilities, food, and service. In addition to these, what makes a Japanese inn many times more appealing are the hot springs and baths.
In this coming season, soaking in a famous hot spring will relax your mind and body and wash away the fatigue of the year. In this 7th installment, we will introduce accommodations in Aichi Prefecture, "Bath-Proud Inns: Central Japan Part 3."

Hiranoya, a 90-year-old inn, has won the global design award, the iF Design Award 2024, for its Hiranoya Sauna, which opened in April 2023. The sauna was designed with the concept of "a space to relax the mind and body while enjoying the half-natural, half-manmade scenery," and also features artworks.

The "Cave Sauna" and "Lounge Sauna" are authentic Finnish saunas that use stones with high far-infrared effects. You can also enjoy self-loyly. In the two private saunas, you can freely set the temperature and lighting of the sauna room, and you can spend your relaxation time listening to your favorite music on a Bluetooth speaker.

The inn's president says that just as a sauna helps to "restore the body and mind," "we want to provide guests with the time to reflect on themselves through the space of the inn."

Another of the hotel's signature features is Miya Onsen, known for its beauty-enhancing hot springs, which can be enjoyed in the rustic open-air garden bath. There is also a cave bath and an indoor bath made of granite. There are 70 guest rooms, and three rooms with semi-open-air baths will open in February 2024. This is recommended for those who want to enjoy some private time at their leisure.

The restaurant offers a variety of dishes, including its signature banquet meals that focus on local and seasonal produce from Mikawa Bay, as well as a buffet style that is popular with families. Don't miss out on the banquet meals that incorporate high-quality deep-sea fish that are a specialty of Gamagori, including the world's largest and rarest deep-sea crab.