Ryokan Hanareya Ishidaya

“Serendipty”

It may have been because we were almost alone there, but we had a delightful and luxurious stay at Ishidaya. The staff is reasonably genial but happily not cloying, like they can so often be at inns and hotels in Japan, and even the food was good. I usually find ryokan fare and kaiseki vastly overr… lisää

It may have been because we were almost alone there, but we had a delightful and luxurious stay at Ishidaya. The staff is reasonably genial but happily not cloying, like they can so often be at inns and hotels in Japan, and even the food was good. I usually find ryokan fare and kaiseki vastly overrated and presented in that 'precious' Japanese fashion - so tedious sometimes. Ishidaya's was very tasty and well presented. We had our own outdoor bath and our own indoor bath, in a sepearet garden house all our own. The room had a slightly moldy smell to it, but hey, it's Japan. Wabi, sabi and kabi. But we felt very comfortable and the futons were wonderful. Fresh and new and crisply starched. If you think of the charges for an Aman room somewhere, where they throw a few plumeria in your bathtub and everything is so symmetrical you almost feel stiff, Ishidaya was not so expensive. Izu has stretches of glorious coastline, then in a second they become hideupus, and it's a repeat of that. The trick is to find a stretch that is still picturesque and not go too far. Ishidaya has no view and the ocean is far off, but it surprises - it's in a dull residential area and you cross a little bridge and suddenly - very pretty. The western landscaping (which you need to seek out in the rear), may need some 'good taste' - it looks a bit funky.

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