Akashiya

I chose the special Hagoromo room for an anniversary trip, and left feeling that the room and experience didn't live up to its name or its price. I did receive an official apology and a partial refund after the inn acknowledged an error in the plan description, which is why I'm giving it two stars. The whole stay still left a bad taste in my mouth. I'd book somewhere else for a return trip, and frankly would like all the money I spent back. Several things I'd relied on from the reservation listing weren't as described. The meal details were wrong, as the front desk and I confirmed together. They brought a few extra dishes, but those weren't the dishes I'd originally been told to expect. The site also said in-room dining was available. Once I was shown to the dining area, staff told me that option had been discontinued. The open-air bath in the room wasn't a natural hot spring either. Water trickled in at about room temperature; after I looked into it, it seemed a circulator was being used, which the Hot Springs Association definition doesn't count as a natural hot spring. After I raised the meal discrepancy, I overheard staff talking about it behind my back while I was eating. They said the food was somehow different and that it was too late to say anything, and that they'd give us more to cheer us up. I felt they treated us like we were at fault for complaining, which was embarrassing when we hadn't done anything wrong. The Nakai serving our meal seemed much less engaged with us than with the neighboring guests. I couldn't help wondering why, given that we'd booked the most expensive special room and ordered costly dishes. I may simply not have clicked with her. She might have meant to be considerate, but her wording came across as slightly condescending, and she even forgot my hot tea at breakfast. A different waitress helped us briefly at dinner and was very helpful, while the front desk staff at check-in were polite. The indoor bath had practical problems too. Its faucet was broken, so I couldn't adjust the temperature properly. Turning the knob to 30 degrees still brought hot water; lowering the pressure also lowered the temperature, so the only way to get it right was with a very weak flow. No one had warned us. The drain barely worked, with water going through cracks in the aging tiles instead. The bathroom faucet near the indoor bath was badly rusted and I didn't want to touch it. There were cobwebs on the room's light fixtures as well, so it didn't seem to have been cleaned thoroughly. The food didn't feel worth the price. The standard kaiseki plus one whole boiled snow crab per person seemed poor value. The sashimi was watery, and the salmon was the bloody part. There were some signs of good cooking, though: the carefully cut vegetables had real flavor, and the shrimp tempura batter was well made. Still, the ingredients seemed noticeably cheaper than in the standard kaiseki. The crab sashimi served as a compliment was rubbery, perhaps from being thawed in a hurry. It didn't have that usual melt-in-your-mouth texture, the fibers stuck in my teeth, and the flavor was weak. I was left with mixed feelings.

Getting there without a car was manageable, since the bus stop is close and they offer transport to and from Iwami Station. The staff were warm and attentive, especially the elderly woman who looked after me. She was funny and kind, and I really enjoyed chatting with her. The building is old, but it has a lot of charm. My room was clean and comfortable, and the air conditioning worked well. The baths had a lovely feel, with spacious outdoor tubs where I could properly unwind. The men's and women's sides switch at different times, so I got to try all of them, and the morning soak was especially pleasant. The food was a highlight. The fish and other dishes arrived piping hot, there was a nice range of flavors, and the fresh vegetables were delicious. I had a great time here and would like to come back.

The rice wasn't very good, and I won't be returning. The open-air bath floor was muddy and slippery. When I raised it with a young female employee, she said she hadn't used the bath recently, so I pushed for it to be cleaned right away. In the indoor bath there was nowhere to put slippers. At minimum, numbered clips are needed.

The meals were delicious, with portions that felt just right and ingredients from the area. The large public bath had a great atmosphere too. The inn has a retro Taisho-era feel, and the interior was so clean that the whole stay felt comfortable.