Published date: May 18, 2025
Mother's Day Solo Trip with Airline Tickets from HafH's Special Hot Spring Feature Cover♪
Room Type Stayed
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Experience of the stay
In January, the Airtrip Gacha event was held! I won a plane ticket to "Yamagata"! Thanks to everyone at HafH for the wonderful project!
When going to Yamagata, I thought this hotel was an absolute must. I've wanted to visit this hotel since it was built: SHONAI HOTEL SUIDEN TERRACE, designed by architect Shigeru Ban. The hotel features products designed by Ban, making it a haven for architecture lovers.
The plane ticket I was gifted was to Yamagata Airport, which meant some challenging travel, but I was able to enjoy valuable time alone, which was nice. Yamagata has such beautiful scenery!
By the way, I traveled by bus from Yamagata Airport to JR Yamagata Station and then to the bus terminal near Tsuruoka Station. It was about a 10-minute walk to the hotel.
And the hotel! It was truly the best. I loved the wonderful room, the library in the shared areas, the hot springs, the sauna, and the lounge where I could enjoy drinks. I felt so happy the whole time.
The view from my room was lovely, and even though the weather was cloudy and I could only see a little bit, I could see the mountains like Gassan.
I had a double room, which had a counter-like table, Shigeru Ban's products like chairs and lighting, and it was a beautiful room.
The sauna had self-service steam options, and the cold water bath's temperature was just right. The outdoor bath conditions were well-organized, making it satisfying for sauna lovers.
In the morning, the baths switch between genders at 6 AM, so if you go in the morning, you can enjoy both baths.
This time I traveled alone, but I definitely want to come back with my family next time! The library had a few picture books and manga, so it seems perfect for families as well.
I was also very interested in the children's playground right next to the hotel. It looked so fun.
And breakfast was absolutely delicious!
It focused on Japanese food, with plenty of healthy side dishes.
There were three types of rice, and it was enjoyable to compare them! The sides were so good that I could have kept eating endlessly.
Next time, I want to have dinner at the hotel too. It must be delicious for sure!
This time, there was a timing when it looked like the rice fields were about to be flooded. Next time, I want to visit when they are lush and green. It's wonderful how different seasons bring various expressions. It was such a lovely hotel that I could want to visit over and over!
Experiences during the trip
For dinner, I went to Hirata Bokujou Tonshichi, which is about a 10-minute walk from the hotel. I arrived almost right when it opened at 5:00 PM, and it was fully booked in no time! It was delicious.
Then, I visited the Yamagata Museum of Art at Yamagata Station. They were holding the Noboru Baba Exhibition. The 11 Cats are so cute, aren't they?
I wanted to visit more places, but I had a lot of moving around to do, and since my main focus was my hotel stay, it turned out to be a very satisfying trip to Yamagata.
This might have been my first solo trip since having a child. It was incredibly refreshing.
I want to visit Yamagata again!