Hotel Iwai

The meals were two delicious Japanese courses, one for dinner and one for breakfast, served in the restaurant. We had to let the staff know what time we wanted to eat. After dinner, housekeeping had laid out our beds, so we didn't have to figure out the futons ourselves. Our room was Japanese style, with what looked like a living room when we first walked in. The ryokan was cozy, peaceful, affordable, and had everything my sisters and I needed on our February 2020 trip to Hokkaido. We loved wearing the pretty yukata for photos, and enjoyed both the indoor onsen and the lovely outdoor one. The baths have separate men's and women's rooms, with two indoor pools and one outside. We were lucky to have the outdoor bath to ourselves while watching the snow. You shower at the onsen, so be comfortable with being naked around other people. If it's your first time, don't stay in the water longer than 15 minutes or you might feel lightheaded, and remember to drink water. The hotel arranged free rides from the bus terminal and back. You need to set the pickup time when booking. The earliest return bus connection is tight for catching the only direct bus to Sopporo, but the bus is usually on time and got us there with just enough time to buy tickets. We loved our stay and were amazed at the value, at 6,100 yen per person. Thank you for a wonderful visit.

The rooms all smell of smoke because there aren't any non-smoking rooms, and you really need a car since the hotel is quite out of the way. It's an old, rustic place with old-school charm. The onsen on the ground floor is very traditional, with shared showers, and lots of local people come specifically for it, so it feels authentic. The staff were very friendly, though they couldn't really speak English. There were many futakas to choose from.

I wasn't happy with either the room or the meals. The room was hot and the food came cold. I won't visit again.

I enjoyed a morning walk and the beautiful scenery.