Published date: May 22, 2025
Relaxing Stay in the Highlands
Room Type Stayed
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Experience of the stay
During the Golden Week, I stayed with my family of four.
Children under 12 can sleep with their parents, so I was able to book for 2 adults while having 2 children stay for free.
I informed them of my two children over the phone after making the reservation.
It was my first stay at Fairfield, and I loved it so much that now I want to conquer them all over Japan.
First, I was entranced by the refreshing scent unique to Marriott as soon as I entered.
I was also captivated by the picturesque mountain village scenery visible from the elevator hall.
The room design was also mesmerizing.
The room was simple and stylish, with everything you need, making me want to live in such a space.
Though the bathroom area is visible from the bed space, there is actually a sliding door hidden in the wall, so you can pull the sliding door to completely separate the two spaces.
The shower room and toilet are clean and tidy.
There were conditioning & shampoo and body soap with a wonderful fragrance.
If you are particular about it, you may want to bring your treatment product.
Facial cleansing and makeup removers are not provided, so you must bring them yourself.
The laundry room has two washing machines and two dryers.
You can conveniently check the remaining time with your smartphone.
The lounge space next to the front desk was a perfect spot to unwind before returning to the room.
With a coffee machine, tea, and powdered miso soup, everyone enjoyed conversing while having their favorite drinks in that space.
It is great that this is free.
From the lounge space, you can go out to the terrace.
In the morning, I had Jersey cream puffs I bought at Jersey Land the day before, Hiruzen yogurt from the hotel shop, and Jersey coffee milk there.
Having breakfast on the terrace with all things Jersey was the best!
In the shop, there were Hiruzen's local sake, soft drinks, yogurt, etc. (all very tasteful!) in addition to regular snacks.
There is no restaurant, but there is a roadside station across the hotel, so you can enjoy local meals there.
You can try Jersey cow soft serve and Hiruzen yakisoba, which is a B-class gourmet dish.
Overall, it was such a comfortable hotel that I wanted to stay for about a week for a workcation.
[Points to Note]
* Since it is a cool resort area, the temperature is lower than in Tokyo. You will need a light jacket in any season.
* The roadside station closes around 17:00, depending on the season, so you need to check the closing time to avoid missing dinner.
(Takahara-tei, about 5 minutes by car from the hotel, is open late. The grilled meat set meal and Hiruzen yakisoba were both very delicious, so I recommend it! I visited around 17:30 and was surprised that so many people were there in Hiruzen! The inside was crowded, so I had to wait a bit. I recommend making a reservation.)
In front of the hotel, there is a shop called "Tsuruyu," which had a long lineup of bento boxes and some snacks sold as well; it felt like a small convenience store. I do not know the closing time, but it seems to open around 7:00 in the morning and has an eat-in space. When I inquired at the front desk about a place for breakfast, I received a menu for breakfast at Tsuruyu. I did not use it this time, but the bentos looked delicious.
Experiences during the trip
During this trip, I spent a total of 3 nights.
I was able to visit Kibitsu Shrine, known as the setting for the Momotaro legend,
Shinjo Village in Maniwa City (said to be the most beautiful village in Japan),
Hiruzen Highlands, and the Tottori Sand Dunes, making it a satisfying journey!
1st night: Business hotel in front of Okayama Station (booked via Rakuten Travel)
2nd night: Fairfield (direct booking via Marriott)
3rd day: Fairfield (reserved through Hafu)
[Day 1]
After work, I moved from Haneda to Okayama Airport.
I arrived in Okayama around 21:00 and stayed at a regular business hotel in front of Okayama Station for one night.
[Day 2]
At 9:00, I rented a car from in front of the station and headed to Kibitsu Shrine.
I did the Momotaro fortune and fed the carp...
After getting on the highway and heading north, I had lunch and took a walk at the roadside station in Shinjo Village, Maniwa City.
Continuing north, I arrived at Fairfield Hiruzen Highlands.
After a short break at the hotel, I went to Hiruzen Jersey Land.
I was healed by delicious soft serve ice cream, sweet-faced Jersey cows, and the green grass.
After that, I tasted and purchased wine at Hiruzen Winery.
I bought three bottles for drinking at the hotel and as souvenirs.
I also bought Jersey cow camembert cheese.
For dinner, I went to Takahara-tei, about 5 minutes by car from the hotel. The grilled meat set meal and Hiruzen yakisoba were so delicious that I want to go again!
Since it was crowded, I recommend making a reservation for an early time.
At night, I relaxed while doing laundry, drinking wine, and eating cheese...
[Day 3]
Around 9:00, I set off for the Tottori Sand Dunes.
Unfortunately, there were many accidents on the highway causing congestion, and it took about 2 hours.
The nearest dedicated parking lot to the sand dunes was already full, and there was a long line in front of it. If you get in line here, you cannot escape; therefore, I parked at the sand dune center's parking lot. It's a bit of a distance from the dunes, but you can easily get there with the lift, and it's fun to walk in the air, so I recommend using this parking lot.
The sand dunes were impressive.
When I climbed the sand mountain called 'Uma no Se', a blue sea spread out before my eyes, and I was moved!
The children rolled around in the vast sandy areas and got covered in sand.
Returning to Hiruzen Highlands, I had dinner at "Hiruzen Taisho," about a 10-minute drive from the hotel.
I opted for an all-you-can-eat barbecue course with four types of meat: lamb, beef, pork, chicken, along with shrimp, squid, and vegetables.
To be honest, the meat was nothing special, but enjoying a barbecue in a spacious lodge-like environment with family was exceptional.
[Day 4]
In the morning, I ate fried shiitake mushrooms, Hiruzen yakisoba, and Jersey soft serve at the roadside station, bought souvenirs, and then returned to Okayama Station to take the Shinkansen Nozomi home.
On the second floor of the Okayama Station building "Sunst", there were many souvenir shops, local sake shops, and local sushi restaurants bustling with people.
I had a delicious Saba-Sawara chirashi sushi purchased from the long-established sushi shop "Azuma Sushi" and was surprised by how good it was.
I recommend it for those using Okayama Station!