Umibenokakureyu Seiryu

This was our first countryside stay after Tokyo. The estate was beautiful, a little dated but charming, and the ocean views from the rooms were stunning. The sunsets were immaculate. There are strict rules and policies for everything here, but hey, anywhere in Japan. The staff were friendly, and the food was traditional and freshly prepared. We loved the stay and the experience.

The location and views are great, but this place badly needed renovation 15 years ago. It was dirty and dusty, and the massage chair was falling apart. The windows had a wonderful outlook, but they were quite dirty, which wasted the view. Service was okay, though not great.

The room and onsen had lovely views, and we enjoyed the sound of the sea. The rooms were spacious. Sadly, the website photos don't show what the place is really like. It's in poor condition, with broken things left unrepaired, and the corridors and elevator smelled of damp and years of use. Getting to the private onsens felt like an adventure, and only recommended if strange insects or other sea creatures don't bother you. There were lots of spider webs, and the corridor was almost falling apart. You really didn't want to look up at the ceiling. The balcony spoiled the room's otherwise amazing view: it was completely destroyed, with rotten wood sticking out and a broken, rusty railing. Inside, the Onsen walls were black with mould. Most lockers were broken, and wooden parts were rotten and coming apart. The hallways had little counters that we imagine may once have been bars. They were unmanned, and a quick look behind one showed years of grime and stains around the taps and lower walls. Many of these problems seemed easy to fix, like clearing the webs or replacing broken handrails, so we felt the hotel didn't really care. We decided to cancel our last night and stay somewhere else. Even though we'd paid for that night, to our surprise they asked us to leave at 10:00. I wanted to shower and pack, but didn't have time. We complained, yet they still said we had to leave by 11:00 at the latest. I wonder if they planned to rent our room out again that same day. The shower in our room was clogged and drained poorly. We tried breakfast, but weren't surprised that we didn't like it, given the state of the hotel. It felt like no one cared. Unfortunately, it was a bad experience and kind of ruined our holiday. Don't be fooled by the pictures!

The onsen’s sea view was fantastic, and the food and kind staff made our stay really lovely. Some fixtures looked a little worn, but everything was immaculate and hygiene wasn’t an issue. I’d happily recommend giving this place a try.