Hotel Shirahamakan is a 41-room hot-spring hotel in Shirahama Onsen, Wakayama, about a 30-second walk from Shirarahama Beach. It calls itself a stay-type inn, “reasonable and selective,” with a shared living room, a self-service kitchen and a coworking room for guests, and every room is non-smoking. Before you book, three things matter: there is no restaurant, so most plans are room only; rooms in the Shirasuna-tei annex have no bath or shower; and tattoos are not allowed in the shared baths.
Hotel Shirahamakan at a glance
| Item | Official information |
|---|---|
| Address | 1379 Shirarahama, Shirahama-cho, Nishimuro-gun, Wakayama |
| Rooms | 41, all non-smoking; no elevator |
| Check-in / out | 15:00–22:00 / 11:00 |
| Front door | Locked after 23:00 (no curfew; take your key) |
| Shared baths | 15:00–24:00 and 5:00–10:00 |
| Meals | No restaurant; one plan adds a bakery breakfast set |
| Prices | From 4,490 yen per adult, two sharing, room only |
| Extra | Bathing tax 150 yen per adult per night |
| Parking | Free, from check-in to checkout |
| Contact | shirahamakan@shirahamakan.com / +81-739-43-5151 |
From the official site and booking page, read October 13, 2026.
Which room should you book at Hotel Shirahamakan?
The rooms are Japanese-style with twin beds, plus futons when there are more guests than beds; you lay out the futons yourself. The bath inside each room is ordinary tap water, not hot spring. The hot-spring water is in the private outdoor baths, the footbaths and the shared baths.
| Room type | Rooms | Guests | Hot spring in the room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kainan-so, detached special room | 1 | 2–6 | Garden bath in a plum barrel |
| Gensen-tei / Ondan-so, semi-special | 2 | 2–5 | Rock bath and barrel bath |
| Japanese room with open-air bath | 11 | 1–5 | Rock bath (1st floor) or cypress bath (2nd floor) |
| Japanese room with footbath | 11 | 1–4 | Footbath on the balcony |
| Standard Japanese room | 5 | 1–3 | None |
| Shirasuna-tei annex, Japanese room | 10 | 1–5 | None; no bath or shower |
| Shirasuna-tei annex, Japanese-Western room | 1 | 2–5 | None |
From the official rooms page, read October 13, 2026.
The Shirasuna-tei annex stands next to the main building and is the cheaper option; its Japanese rooms are on the 3rd and 4th floors and guests bathe in the main building. The FAQ says the private outdoor baths are screened, so there is no view from them. Rooms have a yukata, towels, a hair dryer, a safe, a TV, an empty fridge and a kettle. The detached Kainan-so did not appear among the online plans we saw; ask the hotel how to book it.
How do the hot-spring baths at Hotel Shirahamakan work?
When are the shared baths open?
The shared baths on the 1st floor of the main building are open 15:00 to 24:00 and 5:00 to 10:00. The hotel describes them as free-flowing hot spring straight from the source, with a rock bath and a plum-barrel bath outdoors for men and women. Men’s and women’s sides are not swapped. Bring your face and bath towels from your room.
What is the water like?
The spring, Ueyama-yu, is a sulfur-containing sodium chloride water, 73.5°C at the source with a pH of 7.3. The hotel says it feels soft and slightly slippery, with a smell of sulfur and floating mineral flakes.
Will the outdoor baths be open in winter?
Not always. A notice dated September 19, 2026 says that in winter the outdoor baths may be closed because of the spring’s flow and the air temperature, while the indoor baths stay open. See the notice (Japanese) before a winter stay.
Can I bathe with a tattoo?
Not in the shared baths: the official page asks guests with tattoos of any size not to use the large public bath. It does not say how this applies to the private baths in some rooms, so ask before you book. Our tattoo and onsen guide explains what to ask.
Food at Hotel Shirahamakan
Where do I eat dinner?
There is no place to eat inside the hotel. The FAQ points guests to restaurants of its group, SHIRAHAMA KEY TERRACE, including the buffet restaurant “by the ocean,” a live-fish restaurant, a sushi restaurant and KON BAR. The Shirahama Ginza street of restaurants is right behind the hotel, and guests can cook in the shared self-service kitchen.
Is breakfast available?
One plan adds a bread set from TETTI BAKERY & CAFE at the sister Hotel Seamore: two kinds of bread (a croissant and a croque madame), a salad, and coffee or tea for adults. Pick it up at the front desk from 8:00. The official pages do not cover allergies or special diets, so ask the hotel.
What foreign guests should know before staying at Hotel Shirahamakan
- The hotel has no elevator and is not barrier-free; annex rooms are up to the 4th floor.
- Call if you will arrive after 22:00. Same-day online booking on the room-only plan closes at 21:00.
- Take your key when you go out at night; the front door is locked after 23:00.
- Pets cannot enter the building.
- There are English pages and an English booking page; prices and the cancellation rules there match the Japanese booking page.
Prices and rules at Hotel Shirahamakan
How much does a stay cost?
On October 13, 2026, the official booking page started at 4,490 yen per adult, two sharing, for a room-only annex room, 7,350 yen for a room with an open-air bath and 9,000 yen for a semi-special room, tax included. Prices move with demand. Add the bathing tax of 150 yen per adult per night; Shirahama Town exempts children under 12. The town also plans an accommodation tax from March 1, 2027. See our onsen bathing tax guide.
What do children cost?
It depends on the plan. On the room-only plan we read, elementary-school children pay 70 percent of the adult rate, and younger children 70 percent with bedding or 50 percent without. Check the rate on your plan.
What is the cancellation policy?
On the plans we read: 30 percent 3 to 2 days before, 50 percent the day before, and 100 percent on the day or for a no-show. Non-refundable and early-booking plans need card payment in advance, and the non-refundable plan charges 100 percent from the moment you book. See our hotel cancellation guide.
How do I pay?
The booking page lists payment at the hotel or online by card, with no deposit, while the plan notes say payment is made in advance. The official pages differ here, so confirm with the hotel when you book.
Getting to Hotel Shirahamakan in Shirahama
From JR Shirahama Station, it is about 10 minutes by taxi, or about 15 minutes on a Meiko bus bound for Sandanbeki or on the town loop line; get off at Shirarahama and walk 1 minute. From Nanki-Shirahama Airport it is about 10 minutes by taxi. Trains on the JR Kinokuni Line take about 2 hours 10 minutes from Shin-Osaka; from Kansai Airport, change at Hineno. The official pages do not mention a pickup. Parking is free from 15:00 on arrival day to 11:00 at checkout; stop at the entrance first and staff will explain.
Frequently asked questions
Does Hotel Shirahamakan serve dinner?
Can I use the baths at Hotel Shirahamakan with a tattoo?
What time is check-in at Hotel Shirahamakan?
What is the cancellation policy at Hotel Shirahamakan?
How do I get to Hotel Shirahamakan from Shirahama Station?
Bottom line (2026): Hotel Shirahamakan is a room-only hot-spring stay steps from Shirarahama Beach, with rooms that have their own hot-spring bath or footbath and cheaper annex rooms without a bath. Plan your meals outside, ask about tattoos and winter outdoor baths, and book on the official English booking page.
Sources
Every fact on this page is from Hotel Shirahamakan’s official pages: home (Japanese), home (English), rooms, hot spring, FAQ, access, plans, winter bath notice and the official English booking page; and Shirahama Town’s bathing tax and accommodation tax pages. All were read on October 13, 2026. Prices and rules change; check the official site before you book.
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