Hotel Iyaonsen

My wife and I had an amazing time. We had a room with a personal bath which was wonderful. The ride down to the open air bath takes about 5 minutes. The water wasn't as hot as I would hope, but the health effects of the hot spring was nice. Our meals were amazing and the hospitality by the staff was top notch. The drive up to the ryokan is a bit precarious so please be careful if you are driving. They do have a bus that takes you from Oboke station but you'll need to reserve that ahead of time.

We stayed here for one night in November. Price per night was a little on the high side, however the views from the hotel was fantastic and serene. We had a take a 5 min cable car to the bottom of the valley to enjoy the hot springs. Hot springs were gender separated but you could top up around 3300 yen for a private hot spring for 1 hr. For dinner and breakfast, the staff were very friendly and introduced each item before serving it to us. P.S my fiance proposed to me here and the staff helped him alot with the preparations. They sent him the link to him to purchase the cake and flowers and collected them from the courier on behalf of him. We would like the thank the staff for their exceptional service! Would recommend visiting this onsen, even if its just to enjoy their hot springs and not to stay overnight!

My mom and I had a fantastic time at Hotel Iyaonsen! Very secluded, quiet, and relaxing. Would love to see the valley in spring, autumn, and covered in snow! Our room, Futarijime, had an outdoor bath. We used it a fair bit during our stay, and it was so relaxing looking at the fantastic views while soaking in the hotsprings waters! The room was well-equipped with ammenities, came with delicious teas and snacks, fridge had a lot of complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and also came with a massage chair! We also booked the private outdoor bath! Water was warmer than the public one a floor above, so it was well appreciated gainst the cold air. Also had a different vantage point, so the river looked closer. Was also fun riding the cable car to get to the outdoor onsen and back to the main hotel. Food had been fantastic. We added the Iya Special Kaiseki for our dinner on the 30th, and the Awa Grand Kaiseki for the 31st of December. So much food! Breakfast was also fantastic. Was great timing to have spent the New Year's there, as the Osechi was superb! Do note that there's only 2 shuttle schedules per day. The morning one is at 9:50 am FROM the onsen TO oboke station. The afternoon, 3:10 pm schedule is pickup FROM oboke station TO the onsen. Plan your train/transport accordingly if you're going to use the shuttle :)

Many of the reviews here are from day trippers who came to use the onsen. The location of the hot springs and cable car ride to the river are truly unforgettable. My review will focus specifically on the hotel. Short version: This hotel is very noisy. Do not expect peace and quiet even though you are in the middle of nowhere. ———— My daughter and I are on day 2 of our 3 day visit. We have enjoyed the onsen, but the hotel stay itself has been borderline miserable. Our room has no soundproofing, and the hallway has metal doors and tile floors which create an echo chamber. We are surrounded by constant noise, even late at night. I’ve stayed in American hotels with thin walls, but this is a whole other level of racket. I’m surprised that other reviews haven’t mentioned this. Our room is on the 6th floor, so maybe other rooms are quieter. In addition to being noisy, the room is cramped. The only seating is a small massage chair that blocks the entrance to the bathroom and access to the mini-fridge. The bathroom light is home to numerous insects, some of which are still alive and others that are now deceased. The heating unit is covered with a thick layer of grime, and our humidifier won’t work because the filter is completely clogged. Par for the course at a Super 8 in the U.S, but disappointing from a Japanese hotel. The meals are elaborate and elegant featuring many uniquely Asian dishes, some of which have been impaled. The entrees’ expressions are frozen in fear, which westerners may find disconcerting and unappetizing. My daughter has lived in Japan for several years and is relatively adventurous when it comes to food; even she was unable to eat much. I would describe the food as rubbery, fishy, salty, gluey, and bland. Even the Japanese guests left some courses unfinished. Another reviewer mentioned horse meat, so our meal was relatively tame. Obviously, cultural preferences vary, but on a scale from Benihana to food poisoning, this is exotic. The staff is polite and attentive, just like in most Japanese hotels. This is one area where the hotel does not fall short. In summary, come for the onsen experience, but unless you love dorm life, make it a day trip. PS-The cable car operator will give you seeds, and the birds will eat them from your hand. We like this little activity.

Arrived to use the hot baths for the day, amazing experience with beautiful views. All the staff were super friendly, even though we had a miscommunication with our ride back to town and wound up crowding their foyer for two and a half hours. If you're in the area, definitely stop by, you won't regret it.

Nice location of hotel in Iya Valley, I can enjoy the elegant scenic while taking a bath in the room. The staffs are also well-trained, speak english fluently and try to describe the food, and Japanese culture that shows on our dishes. The room is clean and cozy, worth every single yen.

Take the cable car to the bottom of the valley and head to the secret open-air bath. Do you know the three great borders? Shirakawa-go, Miya in Gifu Prefecture Prefectural work villages and here in Tokushima Prefecture That is the name of the Iya Valley. The deep valley cut into the rocks, the steep cliffs Cliffside, woven with vines Suspension bridge... in the mountains of Shikoku Combined with the use of the internet, it creates a mysterious atmosphere. It's a place with a great atmosphere. There are also high-quality hot springs There are also hot spring inns scattered around. The open-air bath at Hotel Iya Onsen is located at the bottom of the valley, next to a mountain stream, and taking a cable car down to the bath is a real treat. The water flows smoothly and has a slight sulfur scent. There are also rooms with open-air hot spring baths, and this comfort makes you wonder if you are in a hidden place, but on a rainy day, when you see the fantastic sight of the mountain mist rising from the mountains, you will realize that you are indeed in another world. When we asked a guest at the inn about the best seasons to visit Iya, they replied, "Early morning in spring (the calls of wild birds will wake you up), twilight in summer (the chirps of cicadas and the slightly sentimental night crickets in late summer), twilight in autumn (the autumn leaves in the valley turn the colors of the setting sun), and night in winter (the power of the clear night sky)." It seems that the charm of this hidden region never fades, with its charming seasonal expressions. The cable car, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2024, is currently in its fourth generation. It takes five minutes to descend 170 meters to the open-air bath overlooking the mountain stream. The slightly cloudy water, with floating mineral deposits, is alkaline and relaxing.

It's 5 star for one day but 3 stars on the second day. Let me explain. The set dinner on day 1 was good quality cooking with many varieties and good value for money. On day 2 it was bad. The worst dinner we had this trip so far. Poor variety. Substituting real fish for the Sashimi dish with a jellied konjac lookalike, having a small rice ball with a few cereal grains for the steamed dish, giving a meat dish that was 5 cubes of beef fat that was literally just fat with no meat taste or fibres. Service is wonderful. Room with a private bath beautiful and facilities with the funicular down to the outdoor onsen magical.