Bay Resort Hotel Shodoshima

The rooms were really high quality, and the view across the island was the best. The staff were amazing too. I’m already looking forward to coming back.

I liked the beautiful room, but the hotel’s service and management felt old-fashioned. People were courteous, though I didn’t feel especially welcomed or helped. I had to use my poor Japanese to book a restaurant for dinner myself. At check-in they insisted we wait in the lobby until exactly 3 pm. On departure, even with our ferry at 11:30 am, we had to check out on time and sit in the lobby for an hour, or pay another 3000Yen for a one-hour late checkout until 11 am. Maybe my stays in Naoshima and Teshima had set my expectations too high. I respect that they stick to their rules, but the place didn’t meet my standard.

The warm, attentive service made a big impression on me. After we arrived late, the door staff used flashlights to guide us safely into the parking spot and unloaded our bags. By the time we reached our room, our luggage was already there. We hurried to the dinner buffet, and when we came back, beds had been laid out for all four of us in the traditional Japanese HUTON style. The resort brought back the feel of facilities in old Japanese movies, in a cozy, classic way. I know this may be standard traditional resort service in Japan, but I still found it very satisfying.

The public bath (public bath) was nice. The location and hotel service were good too.