Yado Atagoya

The hot spring water is excellent. The gender-separated public baths are used by one group at a time. It’s a room-only ryokan, with shared toilets and baths rather than facilities in the rooms. The rooms aren’t especially large, but they’re fine for two people. The building is old, yet well cared for and very clean. It’s reasonably priced for a short stay, and there’s free parking. Free coffee is served in the morning. There are no vending machines, but drinks are available at the convenience store opposite the station. For meals, try a restaurant in Iizaka Onsen town or eat in the city center if you’re driving. There aren’t many restaurants in the hot spring town, and they can fill up during events, so book ahead. Getting to the entrance and around inside means climbing steep stairs, which won’t work well for people with mobility issues.

I stayed in Guest Room Yuzuki in October 2024. I travel around 150 nights a year at home and abroad, and mainly care about the bath, gym and laundry. Cleanliness isn’t a major concern for me. The large hot spring bath is the highlight: the water quality is excellent, it’s roomy and comfortable, and it can be used privately. There’s a “Bathing in progress” sign to keep others out. With only five rooms, waits are uncommon even when full. I was the only other guest during my stay and could use the bath several times without waiting. The water is piping hot and the pressure is strong. The inn is about a five-minute walk from Iizaka Onsen Station, with public baths, izakayas and restaurants across the river. There aren’t affordable supermarkets nearby, and the station-front convenience store is the closest place for food and drinks. The room was spacious, almost too much for one person, but the view was just the parking lot and residential buildings, perhaps depending on the room. Wi-Fi measured around 30Mb/s. There’s no bathtub in the room. The futon on tatami feels firm, though the mattress underneath is soft. The fridge is small and fits only two 1.5-liter bottles. There’s a security box, several wall outlets and four hangers, but no balcony. There’s a TV, toothbrush, and hair dryer in the large bath. No noise from other rooms or outside bothered me. There’s no gym, coin laundry, or meal service. No cleaning was provided for a one-night stay. The friendly front desk staff made the place feel homey, though with only two staff members, apparently the owner and another woman, you shouldn’t expect attentive service. Check-in starts at 3 p.m., and you can’t enter the inn before then, since a staff member arrives to open the gate. That means there’s no early luggage drop. I arrived around 2:20 and found the entrance shut and silent. I wondered if the place had suddenly closed. There are manga in the inn. The ground floor is counted as the first floor, reception and the entrance are on the second, the bath on the third, and the rooms on the fourth. With stairs throughout, it’s hard for older guests and anyone carrying large luggage, so I wouldn’t recommend it to people with mobility issues. Nearby Gyoza Terui is known for its gyoza. I got in right away on a weekday evening, but it was busier than other places nearby, so reserve if you want to be sure of a seat. Suica and other transit IC cards don’t work on the Iizaka Line, though VISA contactless is accepted.

The building was clean, the room was spacious, the staff were very nice, and the hot spring was great. The inn is room-only, but we ate at Herb Kitchen Rosemary and it was so good that we didn’t mind having no meals included. It’s close to the station, and I appreciated being able to leave my suitcase there until my Shinkansen departure. They also kept some refrigerated souvenirs chilled for me. The bath is a little small and, due to COVID-19 concerns, guests take turns using it. We checked the “Occupied/Vacant” signs several times, so a reservation sheet would be handy. There were only about five groups staying, though, and it wasn’t much of an issue. They provided bath towels, disposable hand towels and toothbrushes, which I appreciated. There were also mosquito coils, complimentary mineral water and a valuables box, though we didn’t use them. Hangers are available. The hair dryer is in the building’s bathroom, and body soap and other toiletries are provided there. The outdoor communal bath has no hair dryer or body soap, so bring your own. The room’s bathroom has no hair dryer or hand wash. The toilet is shared and its light door tended to slam, which may have been noisy. Sorry about that. You need to press the button from inside to shut the room door before you can lock it from outside with the key. The room is on the third floor and there’s no elevator, so pack light if you have big luggage.

For the price, the room was clean and spacious, and it had a sink. The shared toilet felt a bit cramped. Yukata aren’t included, though you can rent them for an extra charge. Reception is on the second floor and the rooms are on the third, so it may be difficult for wheelchair users or anyone with mobility issues. I also wish the morning coffee were available until checkout.