We decided to book this hotel because it’s so easy to access after visiting Toba Aquarium and is incredibly welcoming for families. It’s located in a very convenient spot for anyone planning to explore the Ise area. Since the hotel is packed with kid-friendly features, let me give you a detailed look at what makes it so great.
Access
We traveled there by car, and it was about a 10-minute drive from Toba Aquarium.
It is also roughly a 30-minute drive from Ise Grand Shrine.
Information regarding access from Chubu Centrair International Airport or Kansai International Airport, as well as the shuttle bus service from JR/Kintetsu Toba Station, was available. Since the page is written in English, I will leave the link here.
Arrived at the lovely fragrance hotel robby!
The entire lobby smelled amazing. In fact, it wasn’t just the lobby—they had fragrance diffusers placed all throughout the building.
A Taste of Japanese Hospitality: Welcome Drink
The welcome drink selection was diverse, and the lineup was truly wonderful.
In addition to the standard coffee and matcha latte dispensers, they even offered authentic matcha green tea whisked by the staff!
They also served Oshiruko (sweet red bean soup), and the combination of the sweet soup with the deep bitterness of the matcha was absolutely irresistible.
You can enjoy the beautiful view of Toba right from the lobby. We took our time savoring the welcome drinks in the seating area by the window.
souvenir shop and…
At the edge of the lobby, there was a fairly spacious souvenir corner.
Ise is very famous for its pearls, and they were even being sold at the hotel’s souvenir shop.
Right next to the souvenirs, there was actually a rental corner for children’s toys!
The sign mentioned that each child could choose up to three toys to borrow.
A look inside our room
To be honest, since I booked at the last minute and options were limited—and also to save a bit on the budget—we decided to stay in one of their “outlet” rooms (rooms with a slight catch, like a restricted view). It seemed to be about 30% cheaper than the standard rooms.
So, please don’t be disappointed when you see these room photos! The other rooms in the hotel are on a completely different level, I promise! (lol)
Since it’s an “outlet” room, the one we stayed in was very simple and modest.
It’s not on the ocean side, so there’s no view from the room at all (Catch #1)!
There is no bath or shower attached to the room (Catch #2).
However, a toilet and washbasin are provided, and they were very clean!
The room is fully equipped with a refrigerator, a kettle, and even some tea sweets.
The room even came with tea-leaf incense, which filled the space with a wonderful aroma.
Even for an “outlet” room, the size and amenities were more than enough! On my way out, I caught a glimpse of a standard room being cleaned, and it was absolutely gorgeous with a stunning view of the ocean.
I originally thought it wouldn’t matter since I was just there to sleep, but if there’s availability next time, I’d definitely want to stay in an ocean-view room. Depending on the room type, some even come with private baths. The top floor especially… I hope to stay there someday.
There are so many rooms that are a completely different world from the one we stayed in, so be sure to check them out!
Onsen (Hot Spring)
The hotel is quite spacious, and while I was wandering around on my way to the bath, I came across some interesting decorations.
There is a shampoo bar right in front of the bath area, where you can pick out your favorite products to take in with you!
Of course, the hot springs are already stocked with basic amenities, so you don’t necessarily have to bring your own.
The indoor and outdoor baths aren’t connected, so you have to choose which one to go to around the shampoo bar area. There’s a long flight of stairs leading down to the outdoor bath, and each area has its own separate changing room. In the women’s section of the outdoor bath, they even had a special bath filled with rose petals.
A hot spring like a beauty serum
The hot spring features natural water sourced from Mie Prefecture’s famous Sakakibara Onsen. Its mildly warm, alkaline simple spring water has a thick, silky texture. Known as a “hot spring for beautiful skin,” it was so incredibly smooth that it felt—perhaps with a bit of exaggeration—like I was soaking in a bath of beauty serum.
One thing to watch out for, though, is how slippery it is! As expected, my rebellious 2-year-old son took a tumble (lol).
The water was shallow enough for my son to walk in, which was a huge relief for me while keeping an eye on him.
By the way, I was surprised to find sofas in the changing room! As usual, I didn’t actually have time to lounge around (lol), but the space was designed to be very relaxing.
Rental Items for Children
There were child chairs and baby baths available (in both the men’s and women’s sections!).
They also provided children’s soap and shampoo, making it feel very kids-friendly.
Of course, baby cribs and diaper disposal bins were also available.
Additionally, the following items are reportedly available for free rental:
- Baby body wash
- Shampoo hats
- Bottle warmers
- First-aid kits (including baby nail clippers and thermometers)
- Training potties, children’s chopsticks, and chopstick rests
- Towel blankets, children’s hangers, and toys
- Children’s chairs, etc.
As for paid items, bed pads for bedwetting were available for 325 yen ($2.11) each.
Wonderful services for celebrating birthdays and anniversaries!
They also offer services like cakes, flower arrangements, and balloon decorations!
It looks like you can book these through their website at least three days before your stay.
Surprisingly, this information wasn’t available on the English version of the website. It seems you’ll need to book through the Japanese page, so I’ve outlined the necessary steps below. I think using your browser’s translation feature will make the process much smoother.
- Press “メニュー” (Menu) at the bottom right.
- Press “おもてなし” (Hospitality/Omotenashi) near the top right.
- Enter your details using the “コンシェルジュお問い合わせフォーム” (Concierge Inquiry Form) located toward the bottom.
Kids-Friendly Dinner
Normally, there is a standard dining hall provided, but to my surprise, all families with children were gathered together for meals in a room with tatami mats. This was such a lifesaver for us.
This is a photo from breakfast, but there was an open area behind us about twice this size, so it was safe even when the kids were walking around.
*Please note that the layout likely changes depending on the number of guests staying.
By the time we got to the latter half of the meal, the kids started moving around, but everyone else there was in the same boat. It gave me courage just knowing my kids weren’t the only ones who couldn’t sit still (lol).
The children’s cutlery was provided, and the kids’ lunch set was quite luxurious. There were several types of chairs available, and the staff were incredibly kind. They even remembered the children’s names and spoke to them every time they brought food. I even saw them holding a child from another table.
What’s the Cuisine Like?
Our dining plan featured a traditional ryokan-style banquet, served on individual trays!
True to the Ise-Shima region, we were served shellfish grilled on a ceramic plate.
Since I’m not a big fan of shellfish, I let my husband have mine.
As I’ll mention later, it seems the menu varies significantly depending on which plan you choose.
The shabu-shabu and blowfish were delicious! (Be careful, though, as there were some bones.)
The rice was cooked in an individual iron pot right at our table, and the staff lit the burner for us shortly after we sat down. It took about 30 minutes from that point to finish cooking, so I felt like trying to rush through a “time attack” meal would be pretty difficult.
Of course, the environment was relaxed enough that it wasn’t a problem, but if you want your white rice as soon as you start eating, I think it’s better to let the staff know in advance.
What about the kids’ menu?
In our case, even when we order child-specific meals, the kids usually don’t eat them at all, so our usual style is just sharing our own portions with them. For that reason, we simply added an order of udon and rice balls instead of the kids’ course, but that kids’ menu looked very luxurious! (The price was also quite high, though…). It seemed you could also order baby food for an extra fee.
The rice balls were served with the fillings on the side, so we could put in whatever we liked.
They didn’t just have kids’ meal sets; they also offered baby food options. You just need to mention it in the comments when booking or contact them directly.
Items like udon noodles and rice balls can be ordered on the day, but it seemed like the okosama lunch sets needed to be reserved by the day before.
I’ve listed the details below, so I hope you find this helpful:
- お子様ランチ（夕食）4180円 / Okosama Lunch (Dinner) $28.00
- お子様ランチ（朝食）1650円 / Okosama Lunch (Breakfast) $11.00
- 素うどん1100円 / Plain Udon Noodles $7.50
- オムライス1200円 / Omurice (Omelet Rice) $8.00
- 茶碗蒸し650円 / Chawanmushi (Savory Steamed Egg Custard) $4.50
- フライドポテト650円 / French Fries $4.50
- 離乳食（5−6ヶ月用）550円 / Baby Food (for 5–6 months) $3.50
- 離乳食（7−8ヶ月用）880円 / Baby Food (for 7–8 months) $6.00
- お粥550円 / Rice Porridge $3.50
Kids’ Paradise: “umi no ue” Kids’ Park
There is also a cafe space, making it a wonderful spot where adults can relax while the kids have a blast. Since we went after dinner, we didn’t order anything and just focused on playing together with the children.
There is a fairly large ball pit along with slides in various sizes. The kids were playing there with so much excitement!
There were a variety of playthings, ranging from toys for physical activity to educational ones that stimulate the mind.
The play kitchen sets were also impressively well-stocked.
Food and drinks, including alcohol, were also available in the cafe space for us to enjoy.
Regarding the use of the kids’ park
Usage Fees and Hours
- Children (Ages 1–12): 1 Hour: 800 yen ($5.30)，Extension (every 30 mins): 500 yen ( $3.30)，3-Hour Pack: 1,500 yen ($10.00)
- Guardians: 550 yen ($3.60) per person
Operating Hours
- Overnight Guests: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Last entry at 8:00 PM)
- Day-trip Visitors: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Last entry at 2:00 PM)
The facility was also equipped with children’s toilets and nursing rooms. Since we visited at night, we couldn’t see the view, but there are large, open windows, so I imagine the scenery is beautiful during the day.
An Unexpected Turn of Events
And then, a major incident occurred. Our second son unexpectedly got injured..
It wasn’t even the large slide; it seems he stepped on a ball at the bottom of the smaller one and twisted his ankle. It happened while I had stepped away to grab some water, leaving him with my husband, thinking the small slide would be perfectly safe. This seems to be the typical pattern for “incidents” in our family, and my husband was feeling pretty down about it…
Our second son usually has a high pain tolerance, but he became unable to walk. However, it was already around 8:00 PM.
When my husband was in elementary school, he once went a whole week without realizing he had a fractured hand, and as a result, his finger is still crooked today. Since our son clearly inherited that same “toughness” gene, we decided to take him to the hospital just in case, even if he seemed okay.
I will write a separate, detailed post about how to handle injuries and emergencies during a trip.
Since the kids had played so hard and worked up a sweat, we had planned to take one more bath. However, warming the injured area is a no-go, and it was impossible to leave his side, so we had to give up on that. They had a rose petal bath available, which I really would have loved to try!
Free Baby Corner
Apart from “umi no ue,” there was also a free kids’ space specifically for hotel guests.
This area was also well-equipped with diaper disposal bins and cribs.
The usage time is 20 minutes per session. If it’s not crowded, you can extend your time. The signs noted that you should inform the front desk if you wish to use it.
Breakfast the next morning
The seating for breakfast was the same as dinner the night before. The room was full of our new “comrades” again. Since the kids had played together in the kids’ space and other areas, everyone had started chatting a bit. Even the crawling babies were being allowed to roam much further than the day before (lol)!
Our kids were in high spirits too, with adorable babies wandering around nearby. We had a wonderful, happy time together, chatting and saying things like, “How cute!” and “They’ve grown so much!”
The menu featured an all-you-can-eat selection of dried fish, which made my fish-loving husband incredibly happy.
You can pick out your favorites and grill them right at your table on a ceramic plate.
You can also make your own sea bream dashi chazuke (sea bream over rice with savory broth).
“Himono” is traditional Japanese sun-dried fish, crafted to concentrate its natural umami flavors while keeping the meat tender and juicy. Unlike dry jerky, it is “semi-dried” to lock in the savory juices, which are released beautifully when grilled. It’s a classic staple of the Japanese coast—perfect for experiencing the true taste of the local sea!
You can even eat shark!?
There was even something rare on the menu: shark! It was my first time trying it, too. It’s a white fish with a very mild flavor. Rather than being moist and juicy, it had a slightly dry texture, similar to chicken breast. Since I ate it without being told it was shark at first, I was like, “Wait, what is this?!” but once I found out, it all made sense.
Since my children and I aren’t very fond of the smell of fish, we had plenty of sausages instead. These sausages were from Ise, and they were absolutely delicious!
By the way, there was a smoking room right outside the dining area. When I first saw it, I was worried about the smell, but even with people using it and opening the door frequently, for some reason, I didn’t smell a thing in either the evening or the morning. It didn’t bother me at all—I practically forgot it was there.
Final Thoughts: A Place to Return To
Despite the unexpected incident with our second son’s injury, we were still able to have a wonderful time.
This time we stayed in a “budget/special offer” room, but next time I definitely want to book a room with a beautiful view! Even if you think you’re just there to sleep, the view from the room is surprisingly important (lol).
It also seems there are meal plans entirely different from the one we had. This hotel was so lovely that I’d love to come back again after some time for a “revenge” trip to experience it all over again.
I hope this review is helpful to you. Thank you so much for reading until the end!
