Kamenoi Hotel Ichinoseki

The meals and staff were great, but the hotel itself feels really old and needs renovation. The mattresses in our Western-style room were uncomfortable. I would have given it four stars if the price had been half as much.

The staff were so friendly, and email communication in English was good. Breakfast was delicious, with a lovely range of options. They even prepared gifts for my little girl's birthday. The hotel is older, but it's been well maintained. I'd recommend it to people visiting the area.

I chose this place because it's near Genbikei Gorge, and the free late night snack, tantanmen ramen, was pretty good. Breakfast was good too, though I didn't have dinner, so I can't comment on that. There aren't really restaurants nearby. The closest ones are about a ten-minute drive away. I got a relatively cheap rate on Agoda. The price shown on the hotel's website and other booking sites was 3-4 times higher, and I think I'd have been pretty upset if I'd paid that. My room was clean, but it must have been an older one since I can't say it matched the renovation others mention. The onsen was okay, though very old. The walls are thin, and I could hear the people next door until nearly midnight. The room had a standard firm Japanese mattress, and the pillow wasn't too bad.

Genbikei Gorge is just a five-minute drive away, which was the hotel's biggest draw for me. The place was clean and well maintained, although some parts had a Showa-era feel, and the staff were really hospitable. The onsen is on site, open until midnight and again in the morning. I booked the plan with both meals. Dinner and breakfast were delicious, with seasonal ingredients, and they gave us a small dadan noodle snack for free late at night.