Ikaho Onsen Sanyo Hotel

Things here are old and held together with tape, so if that doesn’t bother you, and you want a good night’s sleep or a trip back to 1960s Japan, I’d honestly recommend it. Dinner is skippable, though. You can find better, and skipping it makes the stay a steal.

A nice onsen and ofuro hotel, with good dinner and breakfast.

The open-air bath on a winter morning was the highlight: sitting in the steam as the sky slowly brightened felt moving and quite extraordinary. The public bath is a good size, with both lukewarm and hot water, and a traditional Japanese breakfast was simple, delicious, and gently seasoned. I stayed one night in the main building on the sixth floor, alone, with breakfast only. The room was quiet and a comfortable size, and the inn has a calming Showa-era atmosphere. A few practical things could be better. There was no razor, though there was a comb in the bath, and an outlet near the bed would have helped when using my phone. The old air conditioner made the room very dry. When I went for a morning bath, the shower still had no hot water after about ten minutes. It can take a while, but that seems like something they should fix. I use au, and the connection in my room was poor enough that I couldn’t get online. The hotel Wi-Fi was free but very slow and kept disconnecting, probably because guests share it. Bringing a humidifier and razor seems sensible. This old-fashioned hot spring inn has clear strengths and weaknesses, and the mildly seasoned food could suit families.

The location worked well for me: you can walk up the stone steps, and the hot spring water felt just right. The price also seemed reasonable, and the staff were very friendly. The facilities are great, but the inn itself is old. The rooms have a strong Showa-era feel and weren’t very clean. Meals at both breakfast and dinner were average. Ikaho Onsen itself felt a little lonely, with many inns closed.