Ikawa Ryokan

The owner was fantastic. When we got back today, she greeted us with “welcome home.” The location is great, and everything you need is easy to reach on foot. This isn’t a high-end hotel, but it’s quaint and personal. Our room was a decent size for the area, with two beds and Western-style mattresses, plus a TV, fridge, AC, tub, and two windows. My daughter stayed in a different area in a room with a mat and futon mattress. Her room had a TV, fridge, and window as well. The bathroom is shared, with stalls and a separate shower room with stalls. Each shared room served three or four hotel rooms, which wasn’t bad at all.

The friendly staff and downtown location near the peace memorial were good points. The room was large enough, but an extra bed took up the cupboard. It was very cold unless I left the AC running all the time. After a shower, there was water everywhere in the bathroom and on the windows. The room seemed constantly damp, and there was mold all over, which left the place feeling unclean overall.

You can hear a lot through the thin walls, though fortunately everyone had to keep quiet after 9. I liked sleeping on the tatami mats in this traditional hotel. It was clean enough, about 20 minutes from the center and five minutes from a big supermarket.

Everything was so neat and clean, and the futons were immaculate. When we came back from shopping, we were welcomed home. The owner was lovely and showed us the room first, and we were happy to pay for it. The Ryokan is in a really good spot, within easy walking distance of tourist attractions and shopping, and not too far from the central part of town. The whole place was brilliant. I wish we’d found it sooner.