All-You-Can-Eat Plus Complete Onsen Bliss at Izu’s Itoen Hotel Toi

A surprisingly nice interior

When staying at a cheaper hotel, guests often worry about if the hotel will be old or dirty, but there’s no need to be concerned when staying at the Itoen Hotel Toi. The picture above is the hotel’s entrance and lounge area. The design breaks completely from what you’d expect from a cheap hotel, with a high vaulted ceiling. The white floor and walls create a clean-feeling environment, with the lounge area creating a warm welcome to arriving guests.

Check-in begins at 3:00PM. Check-out is at 12:00PM on the following day, so guests can spend a total of 21 hours in the hotel. Guests arriving early can check their bags in at the reception and pass time in the lounge.

Love onsens? This place is for you

After checking in, the first thing most people will want to do is have a relaxing bath in the onsen. Hotel Toi is actually a renovated building of a once-famous onsen, and the bath area is very spacious. The picture above is of Ginzan-buro, the women only bath, and one of the best that the hotel has to offer. Guests can gaze out through the glass walls at Suruga Bay, enjoying the blue-on-blue scenery of ocean against sky or a stunning golden sunset.

During West Izu’s gold mining rush, this bath flourished as the area’s largest onsen. Bathe in the same bath that gold miners would use to heal after a long day in the mines. All of the necessary amenities, like a hand towel, bath towel, body soap, shampoo, and conditioner are all provided. Yukata, a lighter version of a kimono used in the summer or as a bathrobe, are also available to rent for free.

Onsen Information:

Water Contents: Calcium, sodium, sulfuric acid, chloride (low tonicity, weak alkali, high temperature onsen) Water Temperature at Source: 54.3℃ pH: 8.3 Onsen use restricted to hotel guests

Fill up on sashimi, sushi, and more

After a nice bath, of course you’ll be looking forward to dinner. Meals here are buffet style and boast a large menu in spite of Itoen Hotel Toi’s reasonable price.

The picture above is just one small part of the spread; there’s much more to enjoy! Northern shrimp and a variety of other sashimi are gorgeously served in boat-shaped dishes. Sweetness mixes with umami, the famous Japanese “depth” flavor element, as the food practically melts in your mouth. And while they strive to prepare a huge amount of sashimi, it is popular and goes fast, so arriving for dinner early is recommended. What’s available will depend on the season, and different hotels in the Itoen chain may have different foods as well.

Aside from sashimi, guests can enjoy a mixture of western and Japanese style food, often featuring sushi, pasta, fried rice, and a diverse variety of other mains. For kids, there’s hamburger steak, yakisoba, takoyaki, and more in the kids corner. For desert, there’s ice cream, cake, a chocolate fountain, and more.

Guests are allowed 90 minutes for dinner, which is divided into two time slots. Plenty of seating is available, but if you’re unable to find a seat, simply ask one of the staff to assist you. Breakfast is often crowded, so it’s best to allow some extra time.

Free draught beer!

Be sure to take advantage of the 90 minutes’ worth of free draught beer that comes with dinner. With just the push of a button, a beer machine will tip your glass and pour the perfect beer just for you, with just the right amount of foam.

Beer after an onsen bath is truly exceptional, so take the time to relax and enjoy a few in complete bliss. If you’re not into beer there’s shochu, sake, and whiskey sodas as well. Children and non-drinkers can choose from a variety of soft drinks and juice instead.

Hotel private beach

The hotel faces the ocean and has its own private beach. Snorkeling and swimming can be enjoyed during the summer. Fishing gear can be rented at the hotel for free, so you can go fishing on a whim. Sneakers come recommended for taking walks on the beach due to the rocky terrain. Also, there’s no lifeguard on duty, so remember to use caution when playing in the water.

The hotel also has ping-pong, billiards, mahjong, karaoke, and traditional Japanese games such as igo and shogi available for free. There’s a chance you’ll have to share the karaoke box with another guest, but one of the best parts of travel is meeting new people, right? After dinner is the perfect time to get the whole family together for some fun and games. A pool is open in the summer, too.