The Best Place for Exploring Ise-Shima! a Relaxing Stay at Hotel Altia Toba Hot Spring Resort

The resort has an attractive European-style building

This is how the hotel looks from outside. The French-style red roof tiles and stone walls are quite impressive. The building has just 4 floors, but is located on top of a hill and provides fantastic panorama views. The interior is designed in white and full of natural lights. The bellman at the door welcomes you with a warm smile showing the amazing hospitality of this hotel. Have a little walk inside after check-in and discover the Spanish-style furniture around the place. You’ll feel like in a Mediterranean resort.

Sugashima island seen from Toba Bay

As the hotel is built on a hill top, you can see this wonderful view from the room, from the restaurants and the hot spring. The panorama to Toba Bay and Sugashima island is this hotel’s best selling point. The climate is mild throughout the entire year and you can always enjoy watching the blue sea. Most importantly, all rooms face the bay and provide this unique panorama view!

Various types of rooms for different travel styles

Let me introduce the different room types of this hotel:

 - twin room (clean and simple relaxing room with a panorama view) - 4-bed room (ideal for families) - Japanese-style room, including a deluxe one (a great room that combines the Japanese and Western styles) - special room with a private open-air bath (the most popular Japanese-Western style room which has an open-air bath on the terrace) - premium room with a private open-air bath (the most luxurious room)



All of them are wide, light, comfortable and have an amazing ocean view. The first four types have a terrace for relaxation.

Note: On the photo you can see the special Japanese-Western style room with a private open-air bath. You can choose between sleeping on a bed or on a futon, which makes this room ideal for whole families. The open-air bath creates a special private atmosphere that you can enjoy as a couple or with small kids.

French cuisine? Japanese cuisine? The choice is up to you!

Food is always one of the pleasures of travelling. For dinner in this hotel you can choose between a true French cuisine and a good-quality Japanese cuisine. Both are great and I struggle to recommend just one, but first I will introduce the menu at the French restaurant “Perle”.



It has an impressive chandelier and you can dine here even if you’re not a guest of the hotel (but you’ll need a prior reservation for that). In fact, you can choose between various sets when you book your stay. They have standard dinner sets for moderate budgets and more luxurious sets with Ise lobsters, Matsuzaka beef and other premium ingredients. 


On the photo you can see the fish dish that the chef prepared during my visit. It’s an original dish in which amberjack fish saute is simmered with raddish, then green vegetable leaves are added and finally all of this is seasoned with a masala-flavored soup. Even the standard sets have such original and creative dishes included. The meat dish includes simmered Matsuzaka beef with red wine. You’ll be surprised by the softness of the beef and the great combination with the sweet red wine sauce. Other dishes include seafood risotto, abalone saute and much more. The bread served with dinner is locally made and has a special peninsula flavor. Everything comes in rich quantity and top quality, including the dessert. 


The Japanese restaurant “Kacho” has a relaxing atmosphere. The best dish in the traditional Japanese dinner is the one with Ise lobsters. There is sashimi, sushi, grilled food and everything is served in simple but appealing matter using top-quality ingredients. Enjoy the fresh seafood and the Matsuzaka beef with sake. “Kacho” is open usually in the evening and requires a prior reservation. The buffet-style breakfast for guest of the hotel is also offered here. You can savor your meal while watching the sea from the windows. Everything is delicious and seasoned perfectly, but one thing you must try is the thick cream soup with Ise lobsters. It’s just extremely delicious!

Relax in the hot spring

Hot springs always make your trip unforgettable! Even though this hotel is a Western-style one, it still has the typical Japanese atmosphere of the open-air baths and the indoor pool with a panorama view. Arashima Onsen’s hot spring water is alkaline and thermal, good for treating nerve pain, muscular pain, joint pain, sensitivity to cold, slow recovery from illnesses, and general stimulation of the health. There is also a gender-mixed sauna.

On the photo you can see the women’s open-air bath which uses wooden materials from cypress trees. The male bath is a stone one. In the evening you can soak in the hot water and watch the stars. During daytime you can see the entire Toba Bay. The hot spring is open between 6 am and 10 am, and between 3 pm and 12 am. It costs 300 JPY per person.