Kintaikyo Onsen Iwakuni Kokusai Kanko Hotel

We stayed here for my wife’s slightly belated birthday trip. I last visited Iwakuni when I was around 10 years old, but this was my first time staying overnight.Dinner was the Chef’s Special / Gourmet Kaiseki, and everything was delicious. The sashimi in particular was outstanding—I could really taste the freshness and quality of the ingredients. We travel about 20 nights a year, and this was the best sashimi we’ve had.Our Room was a 20-tatami Japanese-style room with a view of Kintaikyo Bridge. Since we go to bed at different times, it was very convenient for us and we were satisfied overall. One concern was that the bathroom area (toilet and washbasin) felt quite outdated, so it wasn’t as comfortable to use. If it were renovated to the same standard as the restroom near the dining area on the 2nd floor, it would have been an even better stay.Thank you very much for preparing a birthday gift for my wife, and also for sending my wallet back to our home after I mistakenly left it in the valuables box. We truly enjoyed Iwakuni again after more than 50 years.Lastly, several young men who assisted us at dinner were wearing “In Training” badges. Their explanations of each dish were sometimes hesitant, but seeing how hard they worked felt refreshing. A word from someone older: “Keep it up, rookies!”

I didn’t have high expectations since it was cherry blossom season and the rate was reasonable, but although it’s a bit of a walk to the bath, the view was wonderful and helped me relax. The Room was a twin (shower only) and, since it was at the end of the building, the view was just the sky, but there was a small courtyard garden (maybe), and the Room was clean and comfortable. The only thing that bothered me slightly was a flapping noise from the air conditioner... Breakfast was delicious while enjoying the view of Kintaikyo Bridge from the restaurant. Overall, I think the Facility is old, but thanks to the staff’s natural smiles that didn’t make you feel that at all, I felt comfortable right until the end.