Kanouya Shima Onsen

We were very satisfied with the Room, the service, and the meals. Because there are only a few guest rooms and the number of guests is limited, we only ran into other guests at mealtimes, which gave it a strong sense of privacy and made it even easier to enjoy time with a partner or family. Since it is a newly opened Hotel, we could feel the staff’s fresh enthusiasm, which made us feel relaxed and happy. The Room was clean, and we were able to take it easy since Netflix and YouTube were available. Also, as it was a birthday celebration, we ordered a cake via Cake.jp; it was delivered to our Room right on time, and we also received congratulatory words. Since the Room has an open-air bath, there was an unexpected incident when a large spider appeared, but that also became a good memory. Shima Onsen itself was wonderful as well, but thanks to how well-equipped the Hotel is, it made for an even more special birthday celebration. Thank you very much!

This was our Accommodation for the second day in Shima Onsen.The focus of this trip was, above all, soaking in the Onsen, seeing “Shima Blue,” and enjoying great food. I never imagined that water blended from two different hot spring sources could feel this good! The moment we got home, we were already planning our next visit—Shima Onsen is definitely somewhere we’ll return to.What disappointed me was breakfast. My expectations were honestly low—I would have been satisfied with just hot rice and miso soup. However… when the dishes were explained (by a Japanese staff member), the vocabulary was extremely limited: “This is tomato tofu.” (I could see that.) “This is dressing. It’s fine to use all of it.” (Explaining how much dressing to use from a small dish…) And finally, “This is nimono.” Since it included unusual summer vegetables, I really wanted to hear more—things like what they were, whether they were locally grown, etc. Also, the way the rice was served felt a bit off.Food should be enjoyed with both eyes and palate, but hearing its story can make it even more moving. If only the names are given—which anyone can do—it might be better to provide written descriptions instead; it seemed understaffed anyway, and that would likely save time.Also, around 8 p.m., while relaxing after my bath and reading a book in my Room, I heard loud footsteps from above—like someone stomping around. It stopped after a while. In the morning I realized why: directly below where I sat at breakfast was my Room. When I later saw how that staff member walked—with heavy stomping steps—I thought, so that’s what I heard!Aside from those points, we were very satisfied overall. We wanted to go to Lake Okushima but found there was no longer a taxi company available; despite that, they worked hard to arrange an EV car and explain the mountain roads in detail. Since this trip involved an incredible number of books for me, my luggage became very heavy as well—I’m sure providing Shuttle Service wasn’t easy.With gratitude to the front desk staff and those who provided Shuttle Service, I’ll end this reflection on our trip here.