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As I arrived back in Germany, I’m already organizing my next trip and packing suitcases for a short trip taking place next week. I am truly grateful that I finally had the opportunity to travel to Japan this year, which will probably remain my favorite trip this year (how could it be different?). I was able to spend three long and adventurous weeks in my favorite country. Within this trip I also made a stop in Kakegawa, as I do every year. This time I was staying for the longest period ever, as I spent a total of seven days within the small town, which holds a lot of activities and things to do..
Kakegawa is nestled between Tokyo and Osaka and easy to travel to by Shinkansen, which leaves from Tokyo at least once an hour. Kakegawa is more known as the countryside of Japan. It however holds modern facilities, museums, fine dining restaurants and preserves the cultural influence of green tea, as Kakegawa is the leader of green tea production in Japan. As I was staying an entire week, I wouldn’t want to stay within the same property, as Kakegawa isn´t exactly small and has different parts that have different influences. That’s why I decided to stayed in 3 hotels during this trip.
The hotels that I have been staying at were Tsumagoi resort, Grand hotel and Palace hotel. As some of you might remember, I have been staying previously at two of these hotels, which were Tsumagoi resort, a little off located from the center, and Grand hotel, which is next to the train station.
I spent the first two nights at the Tsumagoi resort, as their annual illumination show took place during my stay. I have been visiting the illumination once before when I was staying In Shizuoka in 2018. The Tsumagoi resort is a monumental resort, which is divided in south and north wing. It has a huge garden area, where the illumination takes place. More than that the resorts offer its guests also access on multiple wellness offers, including Onsen.
The property is popular among families as rooms come up with a spacious size for up to five guests. I was staying in the north wing which is one of these bigger room types and it gave me a great overview of the garden area where I could also see the illumination out of my room from. The south wing is located along a mountain slope and offers views of the lush forest area. The Tsumagoi resort is located next to a mountain and it obviously holds a lot of nature within its Surrounding. Guests can enjoy 140 hectares of lush green nature including access to golf, and own waterpark and multiple other offers. There is also availability of a complementary shuttle bus from Kakegawa station to the resort.
The Grand hotel is a four-star property which is only a few steps away from the Kakegawa train station. It is a culinary hotspot as it locates multiple restaurants within the property, five in total. During this stay I was enjoying a suite as a room type. I was located in the ninth of 10 floors in total. The Grand Hotel offers wide views above the area, including views on the Kakegawa castle. One really feels that there is a huge influence of local products within the hotel. As Kakegawa is truly famous for its tea production, there is also a fine selection local tea served within the hotel. The Grand Hotel is more of a luxurious property with an old-fashioned but glamorous style.
As I already explored a lot of various properties in Kakegawa, I was excited to stay at a new property this time. I was staying at the Palace hotel, which is similar to the Grand hotel, very centered and close to the train station. However, this hotel has a completely different vibe in comparison. As someone who works in beauty myself, I was surprised that the guests could even select on their own beauty products that they want to use and could easily take them to the room from the lobby area. The hotel has a total of nine floors. There is even a bridal hall and a photo studio located, such as a Japanese garden and restaurant. The Palace hotel is a four-star property that also offers access to onsen within the fourth floor, next to the library lounge. Guests do also have access to yukata, which comes on a complementary basis.
Kakegawa has obviously more hotels. These tree locations however are most known and do all offer something unique, in terms of service and location as well. I can tell that especially the Tsumagoi resort offers a different experience and should be on one’s list when traveling to Kakegawa, due to the multiple offers within the resort.
Both, the Grand hotel and Palace hotel have their own charm and are convenient due to their location close to the train station. In general, Kakegawa is a lively destination to explore as it’s connecting West and East Japan, giving different influences and sharing Japanese history, along the golden route, also known as the Tokaido road. I will come up pretty soon with my full article about all the things and activities that I came across during my one-week trip. From vegan restaurants, multiple tea ceremonies, greeting ninjas and so on. As always you could already read some of my articles that I’ve published about Kakegawa previously on my blog which are linked below.