Sounkyo Mount View Hotel

The view from the room was wonderful, but the room was hot because of the air conditioning. There was no washing machine, which made the stay inconvenient. The men’s bathing area only had a hot bath, which wasn’t very guest-friendly. I wouldn’t recommend staying here.

I was in Sounkyo for work in June and stayed one night. There were lots of international staff, and everyone spoke English. The hotel is a bit old, but it had all the amenities, including outdoor baths at the onsen. Dinner and breakfast were included with our room, and there was plenty of food to choose from.

The breakfast buffet was handy for a quick bite before heading out, but I won’t stay here again. My husband booked it because it was close to the ropeway and had a public bath, and I should have read more reviews before he did. The place smelled of smoke as soon as I stepped into the elevator. Even though I requested a non-smoking room, ours smelled like smoke too. The bathroom was tiny and smelled of urine. There was no comforter or blanket on the bed, just a thin flat sheet and the bed cover, and the carpet was stained. This was the grossest place I’ve stayed on this trip or any other. I’d rather sleep in the rental car.

The breakfast buffet was great, but the hotel itself felt pretty run down. We were told our room was non-smoking, yet there was an ashtray and it smelled of smoke. I suspect they just put up a non-smoking sign and told us that was the room type.