Izanro Iwasaki Ryokan

The views from our room were stunning, with the wide river and mountains in sight. We could also see people enjoying the public bath near the bridge. On our 30th anniversary trip, staying at Izanro Iwasaki in Misasa Onsen was a wonderful experience. It’s an older establishment, but the staff were friendly, the room was clean, the baths were huge and varied, and the garden was lovely. You can walk out into it, and we spotted a frog in a pond, which felt so fitting for Japan. The food was fantastic. The facility has a radon steam room, since the area is known for that, and there’s even a Marie Curie statue. Outside the baths on the first floor, there’s coffee milk in a vending machine and delicious local icecream to enjoy while you lounge. Tottori had a big quake in 2016, and a teahouse in the garden was unfortunately damaged. Maybe related, but the little town across the river had some shuttered inns and looked pretty run down. There was a quaint “ashiyu” foot bath over there that we wished we’d had time to try. Definitely worth a visit!

Our trip was ruined by the way we were treated, and I’ll never forget the bad experience. We’d booked a plan without breakfast, but our plans changed the day before, so we asked if we could add it. They said it was impossible. I even asked if we could just have white rice and Miso soup, but they said those weren’t available and that it was my fault for not booking breakfast. They told us to go to the c eminent store, despite the accommodation having restaurants and grand facilities. We felt obviously unwelcome because breakfast wasn’t included in our package. We’d planned to try a local breakfast place, but it turned out to be closed. I’ve stayed at over 30 ryokans all over Japan, and I’ve never seen such a low level of service and “omotenashi.” I’d never go back, even for free. The evening staff also gave us the wrong bus time. Fortunately, I asked for the manager, who took care of our transportation arrangements. He was the only one who offered to help, and clearly did so because we were so upset.

The weather was good enough that opening the windows was actually nicer than using the air conditioner, which didn’t work very well. The room was comfortable with a fantastic view. The food was nice, and the service was good.

The room was a typical ryokan style, and the food was good. I had a good stay overall, with very friendly staff and a great in-house onsen, especially hidari no yu Hidari no Yu. There’s also a flowing onsen fountain you can drink from.