2023 in Hot Springs
Shawn is a hot spring fanatic, and apparently I am now contractually obligated to be one too. This year we found our way to four different natural hot springs-on four different continents–each of which was either free or bookable with points. Here’s how they stack up:
#4 David Walley's Resort, an IHG Hotel
We spent the holidays near Lake Tahoe at David Walley’s Resort in Nevada. The hot springs have been attracting tourists and travelers–including Mark Twain–for over 150 years. The original baths have made way for more modern renditions, making for a very comfortable experience, albeit a slightly less traditional or natural one.
The resort is bookable with points; if you time it right, you could book four or five nights with the points from an IHG Premier welcome bonus with thousands of points to spare. Cash prices for rooms at the resort tend to be reasonable, and day passes are also available.
#3 Le Cascate di Saturnia
These hot springs are located roughly halfway between Rome and Florence, and have the benefit of being completely free (trust us, that’s what it says, and it’s true). There is a cafe on site to provide food, lockers, and restrooms, and sell you towels if you forget to bring them (whoops). Being free, it was a bit crowded (mostly by Italians), especially right beneath the waterfalls, but generally it wasn’t too hard to find a space to stretch out in the warm water and enjoy the Tuscan landscape. It was a pretty great way to top off an already cheap trip to Europe.
#2 Termas Valle de Colina
The highlight of our spur-the-moment bargain trip to Chile was these hot springs in the Cajón del Maipo valley. If you can get there on your own, tickets are just 8,000 Chilean pesos, or about $9. Having a local guide with a suitable vehicle for the rough roads is a worthwhile investment, though, so we invested in a tour that included transportation, meals (incredible, incredible meals), hot spring access (something that can be important in peak season when lines can be hours long), and a tour of the valley. Although the changing facilities were rustic, the hot springs were incredible, featuring mineral-rich water, gorgeous mountain views, and only moderate crowds on the spring weekday we went.
Although tours can get pricey, the reputable ones are a safe bet, and you can always “erase” the charge with miles from a Capital One card like the Venture X.
#1 Onyado Yuinosho
Although our hot spring adventure in Chile was amazing, my favorite hot spring experience of the year goes to the Onyado Yuinosho hotel near Shirakawa Go, Japan. Although it is a somewhat touristy spot, it’s touristy in the “you can’t book a room without Google Translate” sense. The hotel offered a relaxing ryokan experience and (mostly) delicious food at an affordable price with an excellent location near the UNESCO World Heritage sites Shirakwa-go and Gokayama.
The main reason the hotel takes the top spot was the ability to use the hotel’s beautiful private onsen baths overlooking the mountains and river. While hot springs are wonderful, the lack of privacy can be major drawback; not so here.
As with the Airbnb tour above, Venture cardholders can “erase” the purchase with points, making it a nice way to experience a local Japanese ryokan without having to pay cash out of pocket.
Conclusion
We had some great travels in 2023, and the hot springs were definitely a highlight. Doing it all using only points made it even more enjoyable. If you have any questions about our experiences, feel free to reach out! We have a contact form at the bottom of our home page.
Note: We had an incredible time during out travels in Japan, especially the Noto peninsula. We are devastated to see the harm to that beautiful place and its wonderful people. We have been looking for ways to donate to relief efforts, but have not found any reliable public options. Be careful of scams. The Japanese Red Cross only takes donations in Yen via Japanese banks, and suggests that you donate to your local Red Cross.