READER REVIEW: Hotel Villa Fontaine Gran with rooftop onsens, Haneda Tokyo Airport

This “A Night at Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand, Haneda Airport” is a reader review from our contributor, Sarah. 

You can follow Sarah’s travels on Substack at sarahkerrigan.substack.com

Soaking in a rooftop onsen and watching planes glide into Tokyo’s skyline — my stay at Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand offered the perfect last night to my trip to Japan. After a three-week whirlwind tour of Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan, I was booked on to an early morning flight back to London out of Tokyo Haneda Airport. The night before my flight, I booked into the Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand – somewhere I have always fancied staying as it has a rooftop onsen (thermal bath) with airport views.

There are two airports in Tokyo: Haneda (HND) is closest to the city centre, and Narita (NRT) which is a bit further out. Before booking to stay at the Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand, double check you are flying out of Haneda! Tokyo Haneda Airport was voted third in the Skytrax 2023 World Airport Survey and surely stands to go up in the rankings since the opening of the “The Haneda Airport Garden” in January 2023. The hotel still feels very new and is in excellent condition, but the unique selling point is the rooftop spa with a traditional indoor and outdoor onsen. Whilst being part of the hotel complex, the spa is open to the public and you do not have to be staying at the hotel to use it.

I was staying in Asakusa in Tokyo, and from there, I took the train (line A) directly to Haneda Airport. Just make sure you check the train is going to the airport, as whilst there are direct trains, other trains on the same line go to different destinations, so you might need to change trains (or wait for a direct service). The Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand is connected to Haneda Airport, which makes it really convenient, and it is a short walk from both the train station and the terminal (I was flying out of Terminal 3). The hotel is well-signposted from the train station, as you can see from the images below. I didn’t have to walk more than a few steps between signage.

When I reached the hotel lobby, a member of staff directed me to check in at one of the self-service machines, where I first selected my language and then followed the on-screen prompts to scan each guest’s passport and made payment via credit card. A member of staff then helpfully appeared and gave me some more information as the machine printed onsen tickets, my room number, told me which bank of lifts to take, and other information about my stay, such as opening hours, check-out time and the hours and location of the restaurant and spa etc. The machine finally spat out two key cards, and I was on my way.

From a personal perspective, I think it would have been nicer to complete check-in at a desk with a human, as I essentially had someone hand me the key cards from the check-in machine and make sure I had all the information I needed about my stay – so I doubt it would have been much more effort for her to just check me in herself instead of using the machine. But on the other hand, the machines worked well, and the lobby was busy with people coming and going, so I expect the machines do save time and reduce queues during peak periods.

At the foot of the elevators, I was invited to select any amenities that I needed during my stay. This included teabags, coffee, milk sachets, toothbrushes, razors etc. There are the usual toiletries (shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, hand wash) in the bathroom, plus pyjamas and slippers are provided in the room (just call if you need a different size). These can be worn to the spa/onsen but not to the restaurant. I stayed in a Superior Queen Room, which was cosy at 20m², but the addition of a small table and sofa area made good use of space. Everything was in good condition and immaculately clean – everything I needed for a comfortable night’s stay.

The room had a variety of USB sockets and plugs by the bedside tables, and even came with a multi charger cable in a box on the bedside table. Wifi is complimentary, and there was also a bluetooth speaker, safe, fridge, kettle and cups in the room. On the TV screen, there was information about how to book the free shuttle bus to central Tokyo or Disneyland, plus other useful information, like the weather forecast, and a QR code to scan to connect to the wifi.

The bathroom is small but well-appointed, with a bathtub, shower, Japanese toilet, hairdryer, and plenty of places to hang towels.

So far, so good; however, the spa is what really sets this hotel apart from other airport hotels. The spa is on the 12th floor, and not every elevator stops there, so I needed to take one of the express spa elevators on either floor 6 or on the lobby level. Depending on what floor your room is on, staff will advise you of the best way to get there. Not all rooms come with onsen access, so make sure you select the room type that comes with an onsen ticket if you want to use it. You can, of course, pay cash on the day to use the spa, but I expect it works out to be slightly more expensive.

It was a lovely – and novel – way to relax before a flight, soaking in a thermal bath overlooking the airport (well, it was certainly my idea of fun!) I used the onsen at night, so it was too dark to see much of the view, but on a clear day, you can see Mount Fuji from the women’s onsen, and you can watch the sunrise from the men’s onsen. I loved soaking in the outdoor baths (which varied from 38 to 43 degrees Celcius), looking up at the stars to the sound of piped birdsong (and the sound of aeroplanes coming into land, of course!) There’s also a cold plunge pool, a sauna, a steam room, various indoor baths, and a relaxation area. Despite being a popular draw in a busy airport, the atmosphere was serene and relaxed – the perfect way to destress before a long flight.

If I’d had a later flight and a bit more time in the morning, I would definitely have come back for a second soak in the onsen. Once you have a ticket, hotel guests are welcome to use the spa as many times as they would like for the duration of their stay.

Cameras are forbidden by law in public onsens so here are some PR images of the rooftop onsens.

As with all onsens in Japan, you must be naked to use it and wash thoroughly with soap before entering the baths. When you check in at the spa reception, they give you a very comprehensive list of all the dos and don’ts, so don’t worry if you’ve never been in an onsen before or are not sure of the protocol! Upon arrival, you receive a wristband to charge any treatments and a locker key for your shoes. When you have finished, you scan the wristband on one of the check-out machines in the spa lobby, pay (if applicable), and then the machine prints you a QR code to scan on the exit turnstyle.

It may sound a bit complicated, but it’s pretty intuitive when you’re there, and staff are on hand to assist if needed. The spa is open almost 24/7, with the baths being closed only from 10 am to 12.30 pm each day for cleaning. The spa checkout machines are unavailable from 1.00 am to 1.30 am each night for machine maintenance. Checking out of the hotel after my stay, I made use of the same machines I used for check-in. I simply inserted the room keycards, and a message popped up on the screen to say I had successfully checked out.

It took all of 30 seconds, and then I was on my way to departures to catch my flight.
I had a great stay at the Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand and found it to be really affordable – especially as hotels in Japan can be quite expensive. I paid around £135 for the night in a Superior Queen Room with an onsen ticket. For those seeking a blend of comfort and convenience, Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand is my recommendation if you are due to fly into or out of Haneda Airport. For anyone looking for a little more luxury, there is also a sister property, the Villa Fontaine Premier Haneda Airport.

Both hotels are connected to Terminal 3 by the walkway and accessed via the same hotel lobby. The main difference is that the Premier is more upmarket than the Grand, offering better views, larger rooms, and a bit more luxury all around. My stay was only a short stopover, with my main requirement being the use of the rooftop spa, so the Grand was perfect for me, but if I had a longer layover or needed a bit more space to work, then I’d probably book into the Premier.

For more information, the hotel website is hvf.jp/hanedaairport-grand/. The website for the Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier is hvf.jp/hanedaairport-premier/.

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