[Stay Report] Staying at Natural Hot Spring Kaiji no Yu Dormy Inn Kofu! Reviewing the Auto-Loyly Sauna and the Houtou Breakfast

This time I stayed at “Natural Hot Spring Kaiji no Yu Dormy Inn Kofu,” within walking distance of Kofu Station!

I’ll report in full with photos, from the room, large public bath and sauna, and the late-night ramen, to the morning houtou buffet!

About a 10-minute walk from the south exit of Kofu Station.
The building standing in the city with its distinctive balconies is “Natural Hot Spring Kaiji no Yu Dormy Inn Kofu”!
It only reopened after renovation in February 2025, so if you’re curious about the latest atmosphere, please do read on!

*If you can’t decide between Dormy Inn Kofu and Kofu Marunouchi, check the comparison article first.

What You’ll Learn in This Article

• Basic information and access for Dormy Inn Kofu (about a 10-minute walk from Kofu Station)
• The rooms, bathroom area, and amenities
• Details on the top-floor natural hot spring “Kaiji no Yu,” the auto-loyly sauna, and the 16℃ cold plunge
• The free “late-night ramen” and the post-bath service hours
• The contents and price of the breakfast buffet where you can eat “houtou”
• Differences from Kofu Marunouchi, parking cautions, and review ratings

By the way, there’s another building in the same city, “Dormy Inn Kofu Marunouchi.”
Here’s the stay report for that one.

Basic Information and Access for Dormy Inn Kofu

The entrance has the “HOTEL dormy inn” logo!
The sign lights up at night, so it’s easy to spot even in the middle of town.

Item	Details
Hotel name	Natural Hot Spring Kaiji no Yu Dormy Inn Kofu
Address	1-14-3 Chuo, Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture (400-0032)
Phone	055-226-5489
Rooms	183 rooms
Check-in / Check-out	15:00 (last check-in 26:00) / 11:00
Access	About a 10-minute walk south along Heiwa-dori from the south exit of JR Kofu Station
Parking	Partner lot with 58 spaces, ¥1,000 per night for guests (up to 5 m long, 1.8 m wide, 1.5 m high)
Large public bath	Top floor (10th floor), 15:00 to 10:00 the next day
Breakfast	1st-floor restaurant “HATAGO,” 6:30 to 9:30 (last entry 9:00)

*Prices and hours may change, so please check the latest information before booking.

> Check availability and prices on Rakuten Travel
> Check availability and prices on Yahoo! Travel

The Front Desk and Lobby

The 1st-floor front desk is compact, and check-in is smooth.
Check-in starts at 15:00 and is available until late at night, 26:00.

Past the front desk was a relaxing space with a round sofa.
It looks easy to use for meeting up, too.

There’s also a drink corner in one part of the lobby.
Drink servers and coffee machines are lined up.

What felt very Dormy Inn was the 1st-floor amenity bar!
Razors, toothbrushes, hairbrushes and more are lined up, and the style is to take just what you need.
No plastic amenities are placed in the rooms, so don’t forget to pick them up.

Next to it, a kids’ amenity set and children’s room wear were also available.
It’s a plus for families, too!

Rooms | Checking the Beds, Bathroom Area, and Facilities

The corridor on the guest room floor has calm gray carpeting.
It’s quiet, and looks reassuring for those using it as a business hotel too.

The door uses a card key.
By the way, you also enter the men’s large public bath by holding up this card key.

Opening the door, the entrance area is compactly arranged.

Slippers were hung on the wall next to the door.
You don’t need to put slippers on the floor, which saves space and looks tidy!

In the closet, sakusa-style room wear and hangers are set out.
You can use them when relaxing in the room.

My room this time was the type with two beds side by side.
The green curtains and wood-look headboards give it a calm atmosphere.

Spare bedding was also stored in the closet.

There’s an outlet with USB ports at the bedside.
You can finish charging your phone right at your pillow!

From the window I could see Kofu’s cityscape and distant mountains.

The room also has a refrigerator.
You can chill drinks and desserts bought at the convenience store.

The shelf held an electric kettle, mugs, and a tea set.
Handy when you want a cup of tea after your bath.

The towels come in a laundry bag.
The style is to take your room towels to the large public bath, so be sure to bring them.

Separate Vanity, Toilet, and Bath

The bathroom is the type with a bathtub and shower.
The toilet and vanity are in a separate space, so even if you’re getting ready at the same time in the morning, there’s less of a bottleneck.

The toilet has a heated washlet seat and is separate.

The vanity is roomy, with a storage shelf.
Towels are gathered in a basket, which is easy to use.

In the bathroom, pump bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body soap are lined up.

*Size and bed size for each room type are summarized in the “Room Type Comparison Table” in the latter half of the article.

Natural Hot Spring “Kaiji no Yu” | Top-Floor Large Public Bath, Open-Air Bath, and Sauna

The highlight of Dormy Inn Kofu is the top-floor natural hot spring “Kaiji no Yu”!
It has an indoor bath, an open-air bath, an auto-loyly sauna, and a 16℃ cold plunge, and guests can use it for free.

When you get off the elevator, the red noren on the right is the “women’s bath,” and the blue one on the left is the “men’s bath.”
It’s nice that the entrances are easy to tell apart!

Hours are 15:00 to 10:00 the next day.
You can use it right after check-in, and in the morning until 10:00.
The men’s entrance uses the card key, and the women’s entrance uses a PIN code (the PIN can be confirmed at the front desk at check-in).

Large Public Bath and Open-Air Bath | Indoor Bath 40 to 42℃, Open-Air 41 to 43℃

The indoor bath’s water temperature is 40 to 42℃, a comforting setting.
It has an open design, with light coming in through large windows.

The open-air bath is 41 to 43℃.
It has a Japanese-style setting surrounded by a wooden fence and garden stones.
It’s said you can enjoy the mountains and night views from the large public bath.

The water is a hypotonic, mildly alkaline sodium chloride-hydrogencarbonate spring, with effects including muscle pain, neuralgia, and relief of fatigue.
According to official information, it’s a natural hot spring that is not free-flowing from the source.
There are 8 washing stations on the men’s side and 5 on the women’s side.

*The photos show the men’s large public bath.
Guests with tattoos may be refused entry, so if you’re concerned, please check with the hotel in advance.

Sauna and Cold Plunge | Auto-Loyly and a 16℃ Cold Plunge

What sauna lovers will be curious about is this sauna with auto-loyly!
The heater is piled high with sauna stones, and it’s the type where loyly is poured automatically at set times.

Sauna hours are 15:00 to 1:00 and 5:00 to 10:00.
It’s closed from 1:00 to 5:00 at night, so night-owl sauna fans should be careful.

The cold plunge is 16℃.
It’s set to just the right coolness to slip into after the sauna.

Sauna hat hooks and sauna kickboards are also provided.
There are also relaxation chairs outside, so you can build a proper flow of sauna → cold plunge → outdoor air break.

A handy tip for on-site!
The evening hours tend to get crowded, so if you want to take your time, aim for right after check-in at 15:00 to 16:00, or around 5:00 in the morning.

Post-Bath Service | Ice Cream Until 26:00

A free “post-bath ice cream” awaits after your bath!
It’s offered from 15:00 to 26:00 (2:00 the next day).
Hershey’s ice cream was lined up in the freezer.

In the morning from 5:00 to 10:00, there’s also a lactic acid drink service.
It’s perfect for rehydrating after your bath.

> Check availability and prices on Rakuten Travel
> Check availability and prices on Yahoo! Travel

Free “Late-Night Ramen” | Finish Off with Ramen from 21:30 to 23:00

This is what Dormy Inn is known for!
In front of the 1st-floor restaurant, “late-night ramen” is served for free every night from 21:30 to 23:00.

The staff serve the ramen into bowls for you.
It’s welcome on nights when you get a little hungry, isn’t it?

Here’s the bowl I got!
It looks like old-fashioned soy sauce ramen, topped with nori and bamboo shoots.

If you miss the time, there’s a cup noodle service at the front desk from 23:00 to 26:00.
*For details such as allergies, please check the notice.

Breakfast Buffet “HATAGO” | The Local “Houtou” Is the Specialty

Breakfast is at the 1st-floor restaurant “HATAGO,” 6:30 to 9:30 (last entry 9:00).
The blackboard at the entrance says “Breakfast Buffet”!

Outside the hotel there’s also a board titled “A Morning to Savor Yamanashi.”
Local dishes such as houtou, torimotsu-ni (simmered chicken offal), and yogurt and milk from Yatsugatake were introduced.

Breakfast-only price is ¥2,000 for adults (tax included) and ¥1,000 for children (age 3 to elementary school).
Some stay plans include breakfast and some are without meals, so please check when you book.

The interior has a calm atmosphere with wooden tables lined up.
Light comes in through the windows, just the right brightness for a morning meal.

The Specialty “Houtou,” Served Right in Front of You

The main attraction is of course Yamanashi’s specialty “houtou”!
According to the information panel, this restaurant’s is soy-sauce based.

Here’s the served houtou!
Thick, flat noodles with plenty of green onions and ingredients.

Near the houtou, a glossy sweet-and-savory simmered dish in a clay pot was also lined up.
I think it’s the Yamanashi specialty torimotsu-ni that was on the board at the entrance.
It has an egg yolk on top and looks like it would go great with rice.

A Rich Japanese-Western Buffet Too

Classic side dishes such as grilled fish and bacon are lined up in abundance.

The corner with fried chicken and fried shrimp is a menu that gives you energy from the morning.

Omelets and fried eggs are lined up freshly cooked, too.

The small-dish corner had items such as onsen eggs and tofu.

The salad bar lets you choose leafy greens, tomatoes, potato salad, and more.

The miso soup comes in a big pot, with plenty.

The dessert corner had fruit such as kiwi and oranges.

Sweets are lined up too, such as white round Japanese sweets and matcha-colored desserts.

The bread corner has croissants and toast lined up.

For pickles, there was also a corner of Kyo-tsukemono from “Gion Kawakatsu.”

For my breakfast, I took a little at a time of rice, salad, and small dishes, centered on houtou.
With so many items, it’s easy to end up taking too much.

*It’s noted that it gets very crowded depending on the time, so an earlier time is recommended if you want to eat at leisure.

Other Welcome Facilities in the Hotel

On the large public bath floor there was a rest area with a counter by the window.
From the window you can see Kofu’s town and mountains.

There’s a manga corner too!
Being able to pick out a book and lounge after your bath is very Dormy Inn.

The vending machines offer soft drinks and alcohol, and a microwave is also provided.

There’s also an ice maker, so you can get ice for drinking in your room.

According to the in-hotel information board, the laundry corner is on the 10th floor, vending machines are on the 1st and 10th floors, and the smoking booth is on the 1st floor in front of the front desk.

Room Type Comparison Table

The room types listed on Rakuten Travel are as follows.

Room type	Size	Beds and features
Economy Single	12㎡	No inner door, no shower
Double Room	15㎡	Up to 1 child may share the bed
Twin Room	18㎡	2 Simmons beds (100 × 195 cm), up to 2 children may share the beds
Japanese-Western Room	23㎡	2 beds + 1 simple futon, up to 2 children may share the beds

If size is a priority, I recommend a Twin Room or above.
With two beds, it’s easy to spread out your luggage even on a trip for two.

Reviews and Ratings

On Rakuten Travel it had a high rating of 4.38 (4,980 reviews) (as of when I checked).
It’s a popular hotel with about 5,000 reviews.

Differences from Dormy Inn Kofu Marunouchi

Near Kofu Station there’s another building, “Dormy Inn Kofu Marunouchi.”
A rough comparison of the differences is as follows.

Comparison item	Dormy Inn Kofu (Kaiji no Yu)	Dormy Inn Kofu Marunouchi (Shoun no Yu)
Natural hot spring	Kaiji no Yu	Shoun no Yu (top floor)
Sauna	Sauna with auto-loyly	High-temperature dry sauna (with TV)
Local dishes at breakfast	Houtou	Torimotsu-ni, oyster houtou
Recommended for	Those who want to enjoy a loyly sauna	Those who value newness and torimotsu-ni

For a detailed comparison, see the stay report for Dormy Inn Kofu Marunouchi.

Good Points and Concerns After Staying

Good points

• A location you can walk from the station. About a 10-minute walk from the south exit of JR Kofu Station, perfect as a base for sightseeing in Kofu.
• A proper sauna. It has auto-loyly, a 16℃ cold plunge, and even relaxation chairs.
• Plenty of free services. Late-night ramen, post-bath ice cream, a lactic acid drink, and the amenity bar are all free.
• Local food at breakfast. They serve the houtou for you right in front of you.

Concerns

• The rooms are compact. The Economy Single is 12㎡ and the Double is 15㎡, so if size matters, Twin or above is safer.
• Parking is at a partner lot. It’s ¥1,000 per night, with a height limit of 1.5 m.
• Breakfast has crowded times. If you want to eat at leisure, earlier is recommended.
• It’s not free-flowing from the source. If you’re particular about that, check beforehand.

Access and Parking

By train, it’s about a 10-minute walk south along Heiwa-dori from the south exit of JR Kofu Station.
By car, from Kofu-Minami IC, take Route 358 along the Arakawa River toward Kofu.

Parking is at a partner multi-level and indoor/outdoor lot with 58 spaces, ¥1,000 per night for guests.
It’s available from 15:00 to 11:00 the next day, and if full, you may be guided to a nearby partner lot.
There are limits of 5 m long, 1.8 m wide, and 1.5 m high, so please check in advance if you have a tall vehicle.

I’ve summarized a 1-night, 2-day model course for sightseeing in Kofu in this article.

Frequently Asked Questions About Dormy Inn Kofu

Summary | Recommended for Those Who Want to Enjoy a Sauna, Hot Spring, and Local Breakfast

Natural Hot Spring Kaiji no Yu Dormy Inn Kofu was a highly satisfying hotel, walkable from the station, with a sauna, late-night ramen, and even a houtou breakfast!

• Those who want to “reach the zone” with an auto-loyly sauna and a 16℃ cold plunge
• Those who want to enjoy free services like late-night ramen and post-bath ice cream
• Those who want a houtou breakfast in Kofu
• Those looking for a place to stay within walking distance of Kofu Station

> Check availability and prices on Rakuten Travel
> Check availability and prices on Yahoo! Travel

For those torn between Dormy Inn Kofu and Kofu Marunouchi. Here’s the article comparing the two after staying at both, covering the sauna, breakfast, and rooms.