Hot Springs Hotels in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan

I booked quite late, so only the lower-floor sea view rooms were available. Even though the hotel facilities are a bit old, it offers great value for money. Falling asleep to the sound of the waves at night was lovely. The hotel provides WeChat-based Chinese customer service, which made communication very convenient. The room was a Japanese-style room with a tatami mat. It was a bit firm, but it was a unique experience and quite nice. On the ninth floor, there's a public bath and private onsens. You can book a time for the private onsen with the front desk in advance. Soaking in the bath while enjoying the sea view was fantastic. The front desk also provided yukata (bathrobes) for guests to choose from. The only downside was that hairdryers were only available in the public bath and private onsens, which was a bit inconvenient. For transfers to and from the high-speed train station, you can book a pick-up/drop-off time on [platform name, e.g., WeChat, Xiaohongshu]. Otherwise, trying to drag luggage up the mountain road is impossible. There aren't many restaurants near the hotel by the sea; you have to climb a 15-minute mountain road closer to the high-speed train station to find eateries. Convenience stores are also near the train station, requiring a 20-minute uphill walk. I recommend buying anything you need beforehand and then taking the shuttle back to the hotel.

This hotel has a unique inclined elevator, like a mountain cable car, which is something you don't see in many places. There are also foot massage machines next to the lobby on the first floor, so you might want to give them a try if you have the chance.

This hotel is super convenient, just a few minutes' walk from Ito Station, right by the sea. There's a road downstairs, so be aware that if your room faces the ocean, you might hear traffic noise at night, which could be an issue if you're a light sleeper. Ito feels like a charming small town; it's not too crowded, and exploring the local shops and streets was quite enjoyable. The room was quite spacious for Japan, though the facilities were a bit dated, everything was still very clean. We slept directly on the tatami mats and didn't use the TV or anything. Note that they have two buildings separated by the road in front of the reception. They also offer hot springs and private baths, but we didn't have time to try them. For service, two elderly gentlemen handled our check-in, and they spoke English.

The environment here is absolutely amazing, and being able to soak in the hot springs was incredibly relaxing. Breakfast was decent too. However, there were some real pain points. First off, I knew the hotel was on a mountain and that there was a shuttle service. But I didn't realize the shuttle and pedestrians use the same road to go up, which felt quite dangerous. Secondly, the shuttle schedule was infrequent. The biggest issue was that due to a landslide, the later sections of the Izukyu Line were suspended. The hotel's car picked us up at Katase-Shirata, but they wouldn't drop us off there for the return journey. They clearly had a driver picking people up at Katase-Shirata, so why couldn't they just take us with them? Plus, the front desk wasn't clear about this when I asked. The hotel car could only shuttle us to Shimoda Station, which wasted our time. It was a complete rip-off!

A quiet onsen town, with traditional Japanese rooms. It's slowly becoming commercialized, and fewer places offer dinner and breakfast served in your room these days. This stay, however, was a great experience. Since it was our anniversary, the staff even arranged for us to have a pair of mandarin ducks in our room. They took photos of us and gifted them to us at check-out, which was a lovely touch. We visited on a weekday, so the public bath felt almost like a private one. Enjoying the public bath all to ourselves, gazing at the ocean and listening to the waves, was incredibly relaxing. The hotel's shuttle bus is super convenient, getting guests to Izu-Atagawa Station in just a minute.

I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely loved the Hachiman-no Wayo-shiki room type at KIRA-NO-SATO! Upon reaching the floor of our room, we had to take off our shoes and put them in a shoe cabinet, then walk barefoot to the room. If you're heading to the public bathhouse or just exploring the hotel, you can wear the geta (wooden clogs) provided by the shoe cabinet. The floors were incredibly clean; walking barefoot was very comfortable and not dirty at all. The room itself was spotless and spacious, not feeling old-fashioned in the slightest. In fact, it looked quite new. The shower room's design reminded me of a sauna, but it was very comfortable and clean. We didn't use the public bath. Instead, we showered in our room each time before grabbing the key for a private onsen. The 'Stone Craftsman' bath, made of stone, was a bit small; it felt a little cramped for two people. 'Bamboo Immortal' was made of wood (or perhaps bamboo, judging by the name?) and offered more space. 'Rock Seat' was more like a small swimming pool, the largest of the three private onsens, very spacious for two, and had the best overhead cover. The hotel front desk offered complimentary drinks, including sodas, coffee, and tea. The public bath area provided milk and coffee milk in the mornings, and lactic acid drinks and ice cream in the evenings. The building next to the front desk offered various refreshments at different times, such as green tea, local sweet potatoes, soba noodles, and oden. The hotel also offers a convenient shuttle bus service to Izu-Kogen Station, though it stops running after 5:30 PM. After that, you'd have to walk. The walk from the station to the hotel is uphill with a significant incline, which can be tiring if you have luggage or many bags. The hotel staff were all very enthusiastic and polite! I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone planning a trip to Izu~

The room was spacious and quiet. The front desk staff spoke Japanese and English and were very friendly. The view was also great, with the ocean right outside the window. You could hear the sound of the waves with the window open, but it was well soundproofed when closed. It had two beds and a large tatami mat, which could fit two people, making it a room for four in total. There's free parking, and the hotel was clean. The shower and bedroom were separated, which was a nice touch. Very satisfied.

First of all, I would like to thank Ms. Yang at the front desk. Her sincere and enthusiastic introduction to the surrounding attractions and transportation was very helpful. Her attentive service definitely left a good first impression. The room was also very comfortable and clean, with all the necessary amenities. Our booked room had a private bath overlooking the sea, allowing us to relax whenever we wanted. Since we didn't have a car this time, it's about a ten-minute walk from JR Shimoda Station to the hotel. I recommend those with large luggage drive to the hotel or take a taxi. Regarding the meals, breakfast and dinner were both kaiseki cuisine, exquisite and plentiful. The only downside was that while dinner was different on the first two nights, it was the same on the third night, and we couldn't pay extra to change to other dishes. It felt a bit inflexible, but not a major issue. Overall, I would still highly recommend it!

The hotel's bonus is that it offers a shuttle service from Shimoda Station after 2:00 PM and a shuttle service from Shimoda Station after 8:30 AM. It's also a two-minute walk to Shirahama Beach, and there's a 7-11 across the street, making it convenient. The facilities are average. The room is indeed old. Few beach hotels in Japan have screens, so turning on the lights and opening the windows lets in flies. The bedding is also not very clean, it itches where it touches your skin. It's not the soft, fluffy, clean Japanese-style blankets. The lobby is also incredibly bare 🙂↔️ I've stayed at several hotels in Izu, but this is the only one that offers the same price for a single person and a couple. At 800 yen per night for one person in Shimoda during the off-season, not including breakfast and dinner, it's a bit of a steal. The washer and dryer looked grimy, but they were cheap. Washing clothes cost 200 yen, and drying clothes 100 yen. Lightweight clothes dried quickly by hanging them on a chair overnight. The front desk lady spoke Chinese, and the overall information was quite comprehensive. If you want to add a meal, you must order dinner before 16:00. There are two sets of meals: 4000 yen and 5000 yen.

I had a great stay at this hotel. The staff were friendly, professional, and always willing to help. The room was comfortable and well-maintained, and the overall experience was smooth and pleasant. I especially appreciate the team’s kindness and efficiency in helping to arrange the return of my coat, after I had left it behind. They went above and beyond to ensure it was safely sent back to me, which I am very grateful for. Thank you to the team for the excellent hospitality and service. I would gladly stay here again and highly recommend this hotel to others.