Hotel Nagashima Review: Family-Friendly Stay with Onsen Perks
Last Updated on January 26, 2026 by Kay
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If you’re thinking of visiting Nagashima Spa Land, one of Japan’s most famous amusement parks, then you might be interested in staying at Hotel Nagashima.
Nagashima Spa Land can be quite a trek to get to, and although it’s doable as a day trip from Osaka, Kyoto, or Nagoya, it’s much easier to simply stay nearby for the night. Needless to say, the official hotel associated with Nagashima Spa Land and part of Nagashima Spa Resort is your best bet. But is it worth it?
In this article, I’ll share my family’s honest experience with staying at Hotel Nagashima for a night. (Spoiler alert: We loved it, but it wasn’t perfect.)
Table of Contents
The Rooms
Let’s start with the rooms.
We booked a twin room, which was spacious and Japanese-style (a definite plus), but as with many famous, longstanding hotels in Japan, it was a bit dated with firm beds and equally firm pillows. I wish they had provided two types of pillows, one firm and one soft, because I can’t stand firm pillows.
It was not the most comfortable bed, but surprisingly, we were able to sleep through the night because we were exhausted from spending our day at Nagashima Spa Land. So for a one-night stay, it did the job.
As you can see in the photo above, there was a hot water dispenser, a humidifier, and a small television. The room was so spacious that it had a small couch and table, too. The couch was stained, though, and clearly needed an upgrade, but this wasn’t a deal-breaker for us.
We received some complimentary Japanese snacks, which was a nice touch since usually only ryokan provide things like this for guests.
Guests are provided with yukata, which they can wear around the hotel and use as nightwear.
Here’s what the yukata for adults looks like:
And here is what the children’s yukata looks like:
When it came to the bathroom, I wished that the toilet were in its own room, but it was far enough of a distance from the sink that I wasn’t too bothered by it. We also weren’t planning on using the shower since there was an onsen. (More on that later.)
The sink was spacious with plenty of room for my makeup. I also really liked the heated towel rack, pictured to the left of the toilet. They also provided toothbrushes and skincare products such as cream.
The bath is old and needs to be updated, but this is probably not a problem for Japanese guests since they will use the onsen.
The view wasn’t anything to write home about, but it was fine because we spent all day at Nagashima Spa Land. I did think it was cool that we could see some roller coasters from our room, though. The mountains in the distance were lovely as well.
Here is what the view looks like at night:
Most importantly, the room was spotless, so that was a huge plus for me.
One thing to note, though, was that they placed the towels on the dresser in the closet. If I had a jacket, the bottom would have touched the towels once I hung it, which I think is kind of gross and unhygienic. But again, this wasn’t a problem for me since my family didn’t bring jackets at the time.
The Onsen
This was the real highlight of our stay. The numerous open-air onsen, called Yuami no Shima, are located in a beautiful Japanese garden, and I was just not ready for how gorgeous everything is.
Despite there were a number of people, especially families, the onsen was a peaceful escape and perfect for relaxing in after spending a day at Nagashima Spa Land.
Yuami no Shima is also one of the largest onsen in Japan!
You can’t take photos inside the onsen area, so here are photos from the corridor and the garden leading to it. The garden is connected to the onsen and gives a good idea of what to expect.
There are several different baths to try, but the open-air onsen are undoubtedly the best. There’s a small stream running next to the onsen as well as small waterfalls.
Some onsen are pretty deep (too deep for kids to stand in), and some are hotter than others, but they’re clearly marked with signs showing the depth and temperature. If you have kiddos, make sure to go into each bath first to test out the water.
Another thing to be aware of is that the rocks in the onsen area can be quite slippery. We noticed that the hotel recommends walking through the indoor hallway to go between areas rather than stepping across the stone path directly.
After you enjoy the onsen, you can rest in the communal area just outside the entrance. Make sure to bring cash if you want to try their draft beer or pudding while looking out at the Japanese garden.
Note that the last entry to the onsen is at 7:30 AM, which is easily the earliest I’ve ever seen at any onsen in Japan. The onsen closes at 8 AM, so try to go before breakfast.
They also have a bedrock bath where you can lie down on stone saunas, but we didn’t go there.
Leisure and Entertainment
Another great thing about Hotel Nagashima is that they give guests coupons for medals, which you can use at the game center. Unsurprisingly, my daughter went crazy here playing games!
Note that only some games, such as the ones pictured below, take these medals.
These games don’t require much technique, you’re usually just pressing a button repeatedly, but it’s still fun for kids.
Near the onsen, there’s also a relaxation room where you can rest in comfy loungers and watch television. The only downside is that there’s only one television.
The sign for the relaxation room is only in Japanese, so here’s what it looks like:
The Food
I’ve lived in Japan for almost two decades now and I’ve been to my fair share of hotel dinner and breakfast buffets.
I don’t really expect much from any of them anymore, so imagine my surprise when Hotel Nagashima’s buffet turned out to be one of the best we’ve had at a hotel in Japan. The variety, quality, and flavor were all excellent. My husband especially enjoyed the breakfast selection, and I liked that it didn’t feel overcrowded or chaotic.
Here is what the seating looks like:
And here is some of the buffet dinner spread, which had fancy appetizers:
Fried Japanese food favorites like karaage chicken and fried shrimp:
Fresh fruit and cakes:
And a little area just for kids’ food. I loved that the table was low so the kids could see the food and serve themselves. My daughter went nuts over the macaroons and keeps asking to go back to Hotel Nagashima so she can eat more!
If you’re a fan of tuna, you can also get freshly cooked tuna cheek steak. They had regular beef steak as well, which was surprisingly good for a buffet.
They also had an ice cream bar!
Here is what I chose for my dinner (don’t worry, I got more):
The sashimi was especially fantastic; I still dream about it!
And here is my husband’s first dinner plate:
And here is my daughter’s dinner plate:
Breakfast buffets tend to be wild in the morning because there’s usually a line to get in at popular times (7 to 8 AM). But surprisingly, there was no line before 7 AM, and even at 7:30 AM no one was waiting. It honestly reminded me of what Japan was like about a decade ago when hotels weren’t as overly packed as they are now.
That said, the reason there were so few people is probably the onsen’s early closing time, which is 8 AM. By 8 AM, a line had formed, so go early if you want a quiet meal.
The breakfast buffet at Hotel Nagashima had a mix of Western and Japanese-style food, such as French toast:
Tofu with white bait fish and seaweed:
More fish and simmered Japanese dishes:
A cereal corner in the kids section:
As well as plenty of fruit.
There is also a nice spread of bread and pastries, which I helped myself to:
Here is my husband’s very Japanese breakfast:
And here is what my child got for breakfast:
(That Pokémon package is furikake.)
Theme Park Perks
One of the biggest advantages of staying at Hotel Nagashima is the exclusive early access to Nagashima Spa Land. Hotel guests get to enter 15 minutes before the general public and can use a special entrance.
Although this might not seem like much, I think it’s better than nothing. I loved being one of the first people to enter the park and see it completely empty. I was also the first person in line to go on their famous HAKUGEI ride!
So early entry is great if you’re trying to go on popular rides like Steel Dragon 2000 or if you’re visiting with kids, especially during school holidays, and want to beat the crowds.
Make sure to read my article on Nagashima Spa Land so you know what to expect.
Is Hotel Nagashima Worth It?
If you’re visiting the theme park or onsen, Hotel Nagashima is 100% worth it. While the rooms could use a refresh, the location, the amazing food, early entry to the park, and especially the stunning open-air onsens make this hotel worth considering. It’s like a ryokan stay but with a buffet and western-style bedding.
Just keep in mind the early onsen closing time in the morning and the firm bedding. For a short stay, especially with kids, I’d absolutely spend a night here again.
Find out more about Hotel Nagashima here.