Hoshino Resorts KAI Poroto

Wow, this place gets an A across the board! Luxurious new accommodations with a beautiful birch forest theme and all elements of the structures and furnishings designed as a homage to the indigenous Ainu people. Location is right on Lake Shiraoi with the volcanic cone and bucolic forested shores viewable from every room, and boating, paddle boards, and equipment can be rented a few hundred yards up the road. Only a five minute walk to the sprawling Ainu Cultural Center and museum grounds, where numerous exhibits, performances and audience engagement activities of this freshly opened sight made for a full day. ||The most distinguished features of this hotel, making it truly world class, are the onsens and the food. There are two onsen areas, one indoor/outdoor with spectacular architecture, open top and open infinity pool fronting the lake. You can stargaze directly at night (closes at 1 am and only accessible to hotel guests). The other onsen is indoors but also architecturally spectacular. Each has full bath and changing facilities and spa amenities as well as complimentary popsicles, tea, waters, etc. Very meditative and utterly quiet in a bucolic setting. In fact, guests are encouraged to roam the resort in plush Japanese robes provided in each room, so a very relaxed while decorous vibe.||The breakfast and dinners included in the room price were astonishing in quality. Kaiseki style, each meal has over a dozen courses or dishes, artistically prepared with local ingredients. The restaurant is set in a beautiful wooden artisan crafted dining area with wonderful private rooms and top notch service. Deserving of Michelin star!||Staff were uniformly helpful and attentive. There are a number of activities and tours available, so plenty to do even on a rainy day. We look forward to returning to this peaceful top notch destination resort!

We stayed two nights and had a wonderful experience. The staff were professional - polite and attentive, from the moment we arrived till the time we left. We love our room and I believe all rooms have a view of the lake. The room was clean and everything worked well. You can choose to have a private onsen in your room or use the one in the accommodation. A great place to stay while we were at Shiraoi. ||Meals were kaizeki style which we love as we had small portions and able to try many of the local delights. Dinner had several courses of fried, steamed, hotpot etc and it took us one hour to finish our dinner leisurely. That is why the timing (5.30pm or 7.30pm) may appear rather ‘rigid’ to some but this is quite typical of accommodations that serve kaiseki either in your rooms or in the restaurant. We made the timing work for us so it wasn’t a big deal as we have had similar experiences in other accommodations (luxe, ryokan, onsen hotels etc). Dinner served at the restaurant in small partitioned spaces (some with views of the lake) and on the last day, we had breakfast at the counter. Which was fine with us. It wasn’t castrophobic at all. In fact, it gave a little privacy while we ate. I believe they rotate their guests so that you have different experiences. ||It was also great that the menu was different for the days we were there. We have been to accommodations where over two nights, the kaizeki menu was the same. So this was a nice surprise for us. We chose KAI as we wanted to be close to Upopoy which was the main reason for our visit. Though next to each other, it’s a short walk to the entrance of Upopoy. Would recommend this place if you are considering this option.

We booked the quad corner room. It’s super functional, efficient, spacious, and cozy. The lake view is gorgeous and relaxing. The sofa area forms a unique gathering spot for the group. There are two onsens - one for hotel guests only, and the other is open to day trip onsen guests. Both onsens are great for soaking. As for amenities and space, I prefer the hotel guest-only onsen, which is located in a unique-shaped building that you can see from the hotel lobby windows. For breakfast, seems to not have Japanese / western meal choice. There is only Japanese. They serve a traditional Ainu soup (one day it was a potato soup, another day it was a salmon soup). I enjoyed both. For dinner, the meal was modest. The items that stand out was the dessert which is a milk pudding dessert. I enjoyed Kai Poroto as a nice retreat for the weekend. It is good to stay here if visiting nearby area eg. Noboribetsu.

We have a very pleasant stay at KAI Poroto. It is a good choice for ones who admire stylish architecture, quite lodging with open air n enclosed onsen, some arranged activities. I did hesitate when I saw a few comments relating to unhappy experience, especially the prepay price is high and restricts us to buy dinner of whole period. There is no regret, meal is always prepared with heart and service. Tough I don't have a big stomach, to pay respect I finished them all. We follow the way local people live their holidays. When we checked out, the staff sent our luggages to the car park. We absolutely feel comfortable to manage ourselves, insisted the lady not to load them to the trunk. The hotel is staffed, with mature ones offering helping hands to the greens. May be the place is better for adults. Tips for coffee......Sweet Cafe at the entrance of the Ainu museum could be the best in the vicinity.

One of the best resorts we have stayed at, anywhere! And incredibly affordable. If you’re interested in the Ainu Cultural Center it is a five minute walk away. Beautiful lakefront hike five minutes in the other direction, with boats and stand up paddle boards for rent. The resort itself has two spectacular onsen, one directly on the lakefront, superb kaiseki meals (breakfast and dinner included in room rate), incredibly attentive staff, free onsite activities. Rooms luxurious and super modern (the place was built in 2022). We will absolutely return to this destination resort with its calm meditative energy and harmonious setting.

we had a wonderful 2 day stay, the whole experience was very memorable and the staff were welcoming and always willing to help. the food was all tasty, fabulous and more than enough. we would definitely come back, the private onsens in our rooms were silky soft and clean to use.

1) Hotel and Restaurant Features A resort hotel managed by the Hoshi Group, located on the shores of Lake Poroto. There is also an Ainu museum nearby, and the theme of the hotel is Ainu. ②Reservation method Reservations are made through the Hoshino Resort website. ③Payment method Settle the room charge at the time of reservation, and settle the cost of additional food and beverages and events at the hotel. Credit cards are accepted. ■Rooms ◎Views Overlooking Lake Poloto and the snow-capped mountains in the distance, guests can lose track of time. A sofa seat by the window is good. ○Bed The bed is low in height, but the mattress is soft, so it is hard to get up. ■Hot spring ◎Triangular hot spring For hotel guests only. The open-air bath faces Lake Poroto, and the design is excellent in that you cannot see the boundary between the bath and the lake. The gradation of the lake's surface at sunset is wonderful. ▲Maru no Yu Open to non-guests as well. There are only indoor baths, so they do not have many features. ■Dinner ◎Assorted sashimi and appetizers Enjoy eating carefully prepared dishes. The salmon sashimi is wonderful. ◎Steamed sea bream and yuba with jade The most delicious menu. The dish is made by grinding beans into a steamed egg custard base and topped with sea bream and yuba. ◎Beef on a ceramic plate It is a shame that the fat of the beef is so persistent that it erases the dish so far. ○Service The service is attentive, but it is a waste that the next dish is brought regardless of how much you have eaten.

After staying at three Kai properties within a year, I would vote Kai Poroto as my number one choice. While Kai Kirishima offered the best view of Sakurajima and an in-room onsen (perfect if you're feeling lazy to take the tram down to the outdoor onsen), Kai Poroto took the top spot for me. In fact, during my stay, I didn’t even have the chance to use the in-room standing shower, as the resort’s facilities were just that good. One of the highlights of our stay was the Sankakunoyu, the uniquely triangular onsen. The architecture was simply fascinating! The entire structure, from the building and entrance to the lamps and roof, followed a triangular theme, creating a distinctive and memorable atmosphere. It was also conveniently located, just a short walk from the room. The outdoor infinity onsen was another unforgettable experience. We got to immerse ourselves in the warm water while enjoying the stunning sunset over Poroto Lake, which made for the perfect, relaxing setting. We stayed at Kai Poroto for two nights, and the experience was perfect. Unlike Kai Kirishima, where we began to feel the meals were repetitive by the third night, the food at Kai Poroto felt just right for our stay. Two nights was the perfect duration to enjoy the meals without feeling bored. Overall, Kai Poroto exceeded our expectations and stands out as a top choice among the Kai resorts. My daughter and I are already looking forward to continuing our Kai journey in the future.