Ryokan Itoya

Really nice place.

We never felt unwelcome. The hosts were incredibly pleasant and arranged for an English-speaking employee to show us around the hotel without us having to ask. In the morning, they also brought us delicious coffee on their own. It's a great ryokan if you want to experience this Japanese tradition, provided you're willing to learn the customs in advance so you can feel comfortable with the stay.

The traditional Japanese feel of the building made it easy to relax, and despite its long history, everything was very clean. It's registered as a tangible cultural property. We were here for my boyfriend's birthday, and the thoughtfulness of the proprietress and staff made the occasion a wonderful memory. We had kaiseki in our room, and all of it was delicious, especially the locally caught fish. The private bath, open-air bath, and large public bath were all wonderful. I recommend trying them all.

The meals had lots of variety, were well prepared, and left us satisfied. I couldn't find a picture of the indoor bath on the website, but in person it was just as good as the photos. It's a historic, long-established hot spring inn, designated a tangible cultural property, and the building is well cared for and clean.