Relaxing Staycation at Hotel Azure Shionomaru Onsen Hotel

Enjoying a relaxing staycation at Hotel Azure Shionomaru Onsen Hotel with a one-night stay and two meals included~! To keep the schedule flexible and visit AEON Mall Imabari, I opted for self-transportation using a local bus instead of the hotel shuttle. I arrived at the hotel at 6 PM and checked in. The hotel is a long, three-story building. I was assigned a room on the third floor, which comes with a balcony. The surroundings feature parking lots of nearby resort hotels with their lights turned off. At 7 PM, I attended the kaiseki dinner. True to the region's reputation for sea bream, the meal included sea bream rice, sea bream sashimi, and grilled sea bream head. Other dishes included octopus, squid, mackerel, and sea cucumber sashimi, as well as Chidori hot pot. Since tempura was not included in the basic plan, I ordered karaage as an option to round out the meal. I paired the dishes with draft beer and highballs. Although the premium course usually includes mikan udon, the hotel kindly provided it as a special service. 🙏 The grilled sea bream alone made the dinner worthwhile. After a satisfying meal, I returned to my room to review the first day and sober up. After 10 PM, I visited the onsen. I fell asleep to the serenade of insects. At 5:30 AM, I woke up and stepped out onto the balcony. The Seto Inland Sea, which was hidden in the darkness the night before, came into view. It turned out to be a better place than I had expected. The hotel offers free bicycle rentals. At 7 AM, I embarked on a morning bike ride. Just three minutes downhill by bike, I reached the Seto Inland Sea. The sea was calm and beautiful. Riding an electric bike made it easy to navigate both downhill and uphill paths using the assist mode. After the bike ride, I joined breakfast. The meal featured a harmonious combination of a boxed set and a mini buffet. It was a delicious Ehime-style breakfast. The staff were incredibly friendly, making me feel well taken care of. Thank you! ※ Note: Shuttle service is only available during check-in, not after check-out. The bus stop is a 7-minute walk from the hotel, and local buses run approximately once an hour.