Iwamotoro

The rooms can have a good view of fujisan when the weather cooperates. The location is handy, on the slope leading to the island's main attractions. The hot baths are unusual, but honestly weren't that great. They're small and don't use hot spring water.

An American family visiting, and a family friend who lives in Enoshima gifted us this stay. We found the facility quiet and relaxing. Staff were extremely friendly, and the rooms were absolutely amazing. Dinner was a traditional-style meal served in our room, with turn-down service. With clear skies, you can see Fuji in the distance.

The room had a nice sea view and was quite large and clean, and the Japanese-style breakfast was available, though it's specific enough that you might not enjoy it. Staff were polite and spoke English, but sometimes not very well. The hotel is well located on Enoshima, with an unusual cave bath and Roman-style bath. There's also a public outdoor swimming pool, though it wasn't very clean. It's an old building, and you can tell some things have been used for a long time; I noticed a few dirty spots on surfaces. There was no shampoo or shower gel in the room.

The onsens deserve a mention on their own. There are two private ones, both lovely in different ways. One is a large cave bath with a shrine, which felt surreal. The other is smaller and inspired by Roman baths, with beautiful peacock stained glass and lots of light. Both were clean and pleasant to use. The men's and women's onsen assignments switch twice a day, so you get to try both. We had an ocean-view room, spacious and impeccably clean, with a tea set and cookies waiting for us. On our first night in Japan we saw Mt Fuji, and it was the only time we saw it, which made the view an extra treat. We chose half board and were glad we did. The food was fresh, exquisite, and beautifully prepared. I didn't like every single dish, but I enjoyed trying traditional Japanese food and gave everything a taste. The staff did their best to communicate in English, which was admirable. Izakaya dinners were the times we felt most lost, since we were seeing many things for the first time and didn't know what we were eating. This was the best Ryokan we've stayed at, and the most authentic-feeling of the three we've visited. It has a long history, and that came through in the stay. They haven't modernised it, but everything is kept neat, clean, and traditional in the best way. It left us with a warm, cosy feeling. Dear Iwamotoro staff, thank you very much. We'll be back next time we visit Japan.