Izu Azuma

The one drawback was the large communal bath. The indoor bath and open-air reclining bath were so hot that I couldn’t use them, though maybe I just caught them at an unusual time. Otherwise, I had a great first visit. The renovated rooms were clean, the in-room open-air baths were a nice extra, and there was lots of good food. I thought it was a very good hotel and would stay again.

The buffet was tasty, with sashimi, salmon roe, and crab at this price, which surprised me. Kids loved the chocolate fountain, and the restaurant staff were friendly and smiled at our children. In the room, we could put on Netflix or Amazon Prime, which helped keep the kids entertained. The room had been renovated and was generally clean, with easy-to-use plumbing and useful details like outlets beside the pillow. It wasn’t luxurious, but the open-air bath was a good size and easy to adjust. The earlier complaints about low water temperature and no hand bucket seem to have been addressed. The large public bath had a Refa hair dryer. Yukata and samue were both provided, which was comfortable. For a room with an open-air bath, the price was reasonable and the thoughtful touches made it easy to use. We stayed two nights at the end of the year and were very satisfied. We’d consider coming back to Higashiizu. The entrance has stairs but no ramp, which made it hard with strollers and suitcases. Even though the steps are visible from reception, nobody offered to help or greeted us, which was disappointing. Izu-Okawa Station also has no elevator and lots of stairs. The route from the station to the hotel climbs a steep hill, so luggage makes the walk difficult. The large bath locker key band was flimsy, and its connecting ring was loose. I lost it while bathing, though I found it again. I wish it were sturdier.

The facilities were clean and the staff were polite. I liked having an open-air bath in my room, and the Shigaraki-yaki tub let me adjust the water temperature. It was a letdown, though, to catch cigarette smoke in the fresh mountain air while using the outdoor bath. I know it’s hard to avoid completely, but I hope they’ll pay more attention to where smoking areas are and remind people about them.

I found a cheap plan by chance and stayed three days and two nights. The room had a semi-open-air bath, and I could take my time relaxing and eating. The big rooftop bath was nice for lying back in right after check-in, though the water felt too cold at night and early in the morning. You have to fill the open-air bath in your room yourself, and sometimes the water can be lukewarm.