Sunhills Noto

The room had a great view, and the woman working there was very friendly. There wasn’t a toilet in the room, though it was close by. On my second visit I ate in my room. For the price, I thought it was pretty good, despite the bad reviews. You can soak in the hot spring all night, even though it isn’t free-flowing, and I did wonder whether the showers get hot. The sashimi platter was fresh and tasty; several of the other fish dishes were homemade too. Breakfast’s miso soup was a tasty crab hotpot.

The view of Toyama Bay and Mount Tateyama made lunch especially nice, though the garden could use a bit more care. We went as part of a company trip and had the ¥15,000 all-you-can-eat yellowtail course. There was plenty to try, including fried oysters and oyster rice, a sashimi boat, grilled yellowtail collar, shabu-shabu, yellowtail simmered with daikon radish, and teriyaki yellowtail. The women were so taken with the yellowtail and daikon stew that they asked for the recipe. We could pack up leftovers to take home, too. 👍

I checked the major travel booking sites, and it appears guests are still staying at this inn. If you doubt what I’ve written, go see for yourself. My experience was of a bottom-tier “guesthouse,” with awful food and poor service. When I arrived, an older woman said there was a charge for bringing in a cooler box, so I took it back to the car. At checkout they charged us ¥500 plus tax per person, two people, totaling ¥1100. It seems the cooler fee can be ¥5000 or more plus tax per person. When I asked the innkeeper about it, the explanation was that they wanted guests to buy their own coolers. I picked this place based on travel-site reviews praising the plentiful, delicious meals, while accepting that the facilities and amenities might be basic. Instead, the food was sparse and terrible. The innkeeper’s grandfather kept coming into our dining room to chat, which was annoying. It’s family-run, but it felt like guests were being made to cover the inn’s debts. ¥15,000 was far too much. The only good part was the view of Toyama Bay from the room. The food was terrible, in my family’s opinion. The sashimi boat platter had only a few slices. I checked the kitchen and saw a part-time girl cutting the sashimi. The grilled fish had an unknown name and was too bad to eat. The oysters weren’t cooked properly and seemed likely to cause an upset stomach. The New Year’s Eve soba was unbelievably bad. We got just one fried oyster each. The rice was cooked so carelessly that I couldn’t ask for seconds. Dessert was half an apple and one-sixteenth of an orange; the apple was dry and not sweet. Beer was ¥650 plus tax, ¥715 total. All prices were listed before tax, though I thought tax was supposed to be included in the total. They served zoni, but it was so hard to eat that elderly people could break their teeth. There was no seaweed or natto. They served sacred sake even though we had arrived by car. There was no hot water at the toilet sink, the toilet and sink were far apart, and no cups were provided. The road up to the guesthouse was steep and difficult without a 4WD. The refrigerator was packed with beer and other drinks, seemingly to stop guests putting their own beverages in; a sign said, “Please do not put anything you bring in here.” Smoking was banned outside the entrance. Receipts and details were all handwritten, and there was no inn stamp. It seems to be run by three generations of one family. The amount of food didn’t match the photos in other reviews. Maybe that depended on the number of guests, or perhaps the pictures were old. I’ve never seen the fish shown in those photos before. It had no taste, so I didn’t feel like eating it. If this was the experience, I should have stayed at a nearby guesthouse. I’m full of regret. I wondered whether the good reviews came from people who had worked for the inn, and when it had earned its three-star rating. There’s no WIFI. I also posted a review on a travel site, but it wasn’t published. It seems I was blocked and only positive reviews appear. Even so, the booking site still shows guests staying there.

The location’s good, which makes the state of things a shame. The only bath you can actually use throughout the night is the men’s indoor bath. The outdoor bath is overgrown with weeds and has no view at all. They charge for bringing in food and drinks, yet there’s no alcohol in the vending machine. Even the dinner that gets the one good mention in reviews didn’t look generous in the photos. If you love hot springs or enjoy drinking, this place isn’t for you.