I Looked into Heartpia Atami

I've been working through a little series where I look into campsites, day-trip hot springs, and inns, mainly asking whether I could get there without a car.

This time I looked into Heartpia Atami as a destination for those days when I'd rather skip camping and have a hotel staycation. It apparently has a shuttle bus from Atami Station, so it sounded easy to reach even for a paper driver like me, and that's what caught my eye.

A Hot Spring Hotel in Izusan with Two Private Springs

It's a hot spring hotel in the Izusan area of Atami, and the official site gives its name only in Japanese, which would read roughly as "Atami Izusan Onsen Heartpia Atami" in English letters. The hotel owns two Izusan Onsen springs, and it's apparently advertised as having natural hot spring water from two private sources.
The source is a mixed spring, and the spring quality was listed as a simple hot spring (hypotonic, mildly alkaline, high temperature), with a source temperature of 53.0°C.

It also seems to accept day-trip bathing, not just overnight guests. Here's the basic information I found.

• Day-trip bathing hours: 11:00–16:00 (last entry at 15:00). It seems to be open year-round except on certain days
• Day-trip bathing fees (tax included): adults (junior high school age and up) 1,650 yen, children (elementary school age and under) 1,000 yen, and free for preschoolers
• Rentals (tax included): face towel 220 yen, bath towel 330 yen, in-house wear 330 yen
• Reservations: if you're only doing a day-trip bath, you don't need to book ahead and apparently just buy a ticket from the vending machine. That said, on weekends and holidays there are entry limits when it gets crowded
• Booking a stay: it looks like the official site sends you on to an external reservation system
• Room rates and check-in/check-out times: I couldn't find them on the official site in the pages I looked at

The top page seemed to have a notice that day-trip bathing is suspended on certain days. It's probably a good idea to check the latest info on the official site before heading out.

Komorin

Just hearing that a place has two private springs gets my hopes up for the baths. And being able to drop in for a day trip is a real plus for an indoor person like me.

Baths and Facilities for an Indoor Type Like Me

The main public bath is on the 5th floor, and it seems to have a reclining bath, a jet bath, and a low-temperature sauna. The men's and women's baths swap on a daily rotation, and apparently you can see the sea and mountains through a small window.
I couldn't confirm on the official site whether the main bath has an outdoor open-air bath. I think it's better to imagine the view as something you enjoy through a small window.

There also seem to be private family baths, which are apparently fed by free-flowing source water.

• Family bath fees: 2,200 yen (tax included) for 45 minutes, or 3,300 yen (tax included) for day-trip visitors. Wheelchair users can apparently use it too
• Guest room baths: there are rooms with a private open-air bath, including a type with a Shigaraki ware pot bath. The bath type seems to differ from room to room
• Number of rooms: 54, with room types ranging from special suites with an open-air bath to Western-style twin rooms
• Hot spring hours: 11:00–24:00, and then 5:30–9:00 the next morning

For day-trip bathing, it seems amenities like shampoo, conditioner, body soap, hair dryers, and cotton swabs are provided. A free rest area is apparently available from 11:00 to 16:00, and there are coin lockers too. It didn't say clearly whether the lockers are included in the fee. People with tattoos and those who have been drinking too much can't use the baths.

It gave me the impression that there are plenty of ways to spend time after your bath.

• 5th floor: there seems to be a lounge with a panoramic view of the Atami sea (with sightseeing binoculars) and a shop. A free mini table tennis corner is at the entrance to the main bath, and there's a manga corner in front of it
• 6th floor: there's a restaurant
• 4th floor: there's karaoke, with three rooms

For meals, the site mentioned dishes like a boat platter of local fish, odori-yaki grilled abalone, and kinmedai (golden eye snapper) shabu-shabu. Apparently you can eat while looking out over Sagami Bay, and there's a wide selection of drinks, including local craft beer.

Can You Get There by Shuttle Bus from Atami Station? Sorting Out Access

This is the part that matters most to someone who doesn't drive. The following ways to get from Atami Station to the hotel were listed.

• Free shuttle bus: it takes about 10 minutes and apparently needs no reservation. The boarding point is a designated spot in front of Atami Station. The timetable was only available as an image, so I couldn't confirm it from the text. I also couldn't find anything on the official site about whether day-trip bathers can use the shuttle
• Local bus: take the Nanaobara loop bus from stop number 4 at the station bus terminal, get off at the Izusan Rojin Home stop, and walk about 5 minutes. The ride takes about 10 minutes, and no fare was listed
• Taxi: it takes about 10 minutes, and no fare was listed

If you go by car, there's parking for 40 vehicles that's free and needs no reservation. For three large buses, a reservation is required.

I'd want to confirm the shuttle bus times and whether day-trip visitors can use it, either on the official site or by asking the hotel before going.

Nearby Spots: It Seems to Split Between Walkable and Car-Only

Looking at the nearby sightseeing page on the official site, the only place that seems walkable from the hotel is Izusan Shrine, at 5 minutes on foot (no stairs).
Everything else looks like it assumes a car or taxi.

• 8 minutes by car or taxi: Hashiriyu (also described as a 20-minute walk from Izusan Shrine)
• 10 minutes by car or taxi: MOA Museum of Art, the Kan'ichi and Omiya statue and the Omiya pine
• 15 minutes by car or taxi: Shinsui Park, Atami Sun Beach, Marine Spa Atami, Kiunkaku, Kinomiya Shrine, Atami Plum Garden, Izusan Port (Dai-Ju Kikumaru)
• 20 minutes by car or taxi: Himenosawa Park. Atami Castle is also 20 minutes to the ropeway station, then a 2-minute walk from there

Without a car, it seemed like the best approach would be to relax at the hotel and narrow down the places you want to visit to one or two.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

I entered this facility's location (Izusan, Atami) into the official my Area Communication Simulation tool to check. The overall rating came out as "C".

According to this tool, the signal looked like something worth keeping an eye on. The tool alone can't tell you how it varies by location inside the building or the building's conditions.
I also couldn't confirm on the official site whether Wi-Fi is available, at least in the pages I looked at. If you want to work or watch videos during a staycation, it might be reassuring to check your connection options beforehand.

If signal matters to you, please check with the official Rakuten Mobile tool in advance.

Komorin

With a C rating, I think it's best to treat this as a place where you don't rely on signal and just focus on the hot springs. Going in with the mindset of keeping your phone at arm's length might actually be just right.

Wrapping Up

To sum it up, my impression of Heartpia Atami is that it's a hotel with two private Izusan Onsen springs and a free shuttle bus from Atami Station that apparently takes about 10 minutes, so it looked like an easy place to enjoy a hot spring hotel stay without a car.

Day-trip bathing is 1,650 yen (tax included) for adults, and apparently needs no reservation. With family baths and rooms with private open-air baths, it seems easy to use for anything from a day trip to an overnight stay. On the other hand, I couldn't confirm the room rates, the shuttle bus times, or whether day-trip visitors can use the shuttle in this research. For the latest info, it's reassuring to check the official site.

As for Rakuten Mobile signal, the official tool's rating was "C". If your connection matters to you, I think it's best to check with the tool beforehand.

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Related Links

• Official Site