Hotel Takeshima
Hotel Takeshima is a spa resort overlooking the island of Takeshima and Mikawa Bay. All guest rooms have ocean views, as do the hotel’s indoor and open-air hot-spring baths. Guests can choose from nine types of rooms, including tatami-mat rooms in which futon mattresses are laid out at night, Western-style rooms with beds, and combinations of the two styles. On the culinary front, Hotel Takeshima is noted for its commitment to serving the local cuisine of Gamagori at its restaurants, including deep-sea fish and Mikawa beef.
Location
Hotel Takeshima is a short walk from the oceanfront and the footbridge to Takeshima. Directly outside the hotel are the Shunzeien garden and the Takeshima Craft Center, a facility focused on the history of the area’s textile industry and Mikawa cotton, a type of striped weave associated with Gamagori. Due east and uphill from Hotel Takeshima is the Gamagori Classic Hotel and its landscaped grounds dotted with historic structures.
Hot springs
For many guests, the main draw at Hotel Takeshima is the hot-spring baths. The hotel is located in the center of Gamagori Onsen, a cluster of hot springs that is one of four resorts of its kind in the vicinity. The other three are Miya Onsen to the east of Gamagori, Katahara Onsen in the foothills of Mt. Sangane, and Nishiura Onsen on the tip of the Nishiura Peninsula, southwest of the Takeshima area.
Several of the rooms at Hotel Takeshima have private open-air baths, and all guests are welcome to use the shared bathing facilities. These encompass a spacious indoor tub with water that is clear, virtually odorless, and alkaline, set in front of a picture window looking out over Takeshima and Mikawa Bay, and an open-air version with an equally picturesque view and water with a low (and perfectly safe) concentration of natural radon. The water in both tubs is suitable for bathers with sensitive skin, with properties that make the skin feel smooth and silky after bathing.
Dining
Local ingredients have pride of place at Hotel Takeshima’s two restaurants: the traditional Japanese restaurant Tokiwa and the French-style Rivage. Seafood dishes include the deep-sea catch that Gamagori is famous for, including sashimi, grilled and simmered fish dishes, akaza-ebi lobster, and soft and mellow mehikari (bigeyed greeneye). Mikawa beef, a local brand of wagyu, is offered as shabu-shabu and steak, and local fruit and vegetables also feature prominently on the menu.