Livemax Resort Ito-Kawana

We were here for two weeks, and the hotel kept us sheltered when typhoon #15 brought a blackout, thunderstorms, and heavy rain. The building felt sturdy through the severe weather. Staff were generally helpful and friendly, and our room was large and clean by Japanese standards, with good equipment. We found a JBL Bluetooth speaker and a large flat-screen TV in nearly every room. The place had been refurbished in 2015, though it still looked worn in spots. In our room, the shower tap didn't work and the toilet compartment looked old, although the bidet seat was new. It was clean, which mattered more to me. There was welcome coffee at check-in, plus a standard swimming pool, a warm massage pool, a nearby room with ping-pong and some UFO catchers, indoor and outdoor hot springs, massage chairs, and a tennis court. All of those were free, apart from an extra hot-spring charge of 150 yen per day, billed at checkout. Electric bikes were available to rent, and karaoke cost a little extra. They also have breakfast and dinner buffets with all-you-can-eat sashimi, appetizers, and desserts. Dinner was a bit expensive at around 6,000 yen per person including tax. For lunch, I'd suggest the nearby Italian restaurant. The resort is a little outside the city center, but parking is free, so driving is a good idea. Ito marine town is about 20 minutes away by car. It's a huge store, about the size of an Extra Tesco or Asda in the UK, with lots of food, drinks, and household appliances. Next door is one of the genuine 100-yen sushi restaurants, 90 yen plus tax rather than 100 yen before tax, which I'd recommend. You might want to see my other review of it. A couple of things caught us off guard. They don't lend out landline phones, and the room phone was only for intercom use. No one there spoke English. The toilet was the clearest sign of the hotel's age. Still, at around 7,000 yen a night, it was close to perfect. We'll definitely come back.