I Looked Into Izu Kogen Onsen Ryokan Homare no Hikari Suigetsu

Not just campgrounds—on days when I feel like "let's skip camping today and go for a hot spring getaway instead," I've been continuing this blog series digging into day-trip hot springs and ryokan information. I've also looked into several ryokan with rooms that come with their own open-air baths before.

This time, I decided to look into "Izu Kogen Onsen Ryokan Homare no Hikari Suigetsu" in Izu Kogen. What caught my attention was seeing information that every single room comes with its own open-air bath, along with the fact that this ryokan apparently has a fairly small number of rooms.

Features of Suigetsu, Where Every Room Has Its Own Open-Air Bath

This ryokan in Izu Kogen Onsen apparently has only 8 rooms in total, and its biggest feature seems to be that every single one of them is a guest room with an open-air bath overlooking the ocean. As for room types, the official site listed things like a room with an 8-tatami Japanese-style room plus a 4-tatami bedroom, along with an open-air bath and terrace, and another type with a 20-tatami Japanese-style room along with an open-air bath and terrace. It seems there are both smoking and non-smoking room types, but the official site didn't specify how many rooms of each type there are, so I wasn't able to confirm that.

Check-in is apparently from 15:00 (last check-in 17:30), and check-out is at 11:00. As for rates, there seemed to be a special plan limited to "2 groups per day" starting from 21,500 yen per person, and a standard creative kaiseki course plan starting from 22,800 yen per person. On the room type page, there was also a listing of 19,900 yen per person for double occupancy. The base amounts seem to differ between the plan pages and the room type pages, but I couldn't quite figure out from the official site how these are meant to be used together. There also wasn't a clear note on whether these prices include tax, so it might be a good idea to confirm the final amount when making a reservation.

Reservations seem to go through an external booking system, accessed via the "List of Stay Plans" or "Vacancy Calendar" on the official site. It also seems possible to book by phone.

Komorin

Having only 8 rooms but every single one with its own open-air bath feels like a pretty bold approach. As someone who prefers staying indoors, I'm a little drawn to the idea of being able to soak in a hot spring without even leaving the room.

Checking Out the Baths and Meals

In addition to the open-air baths in each guest room, there's apparently also one private reservation-only bath with a view. It's open from 15:00 to 23:45, with each group getting a 40-minute slot, and it seems you reserve it at the front desk when you arrive. Even at a ryokan where every room already has its own open-air bath, having a separate private bath available might be a nice touch for guests who want a change of scenery.

The hot spring water is apparently a hypotonic, weakly alkaline spring—specifically a calcium-sodium sulfate spring—and it's said to be good for things like muscle pain, nerve pain, and poor circulation. I couldn't find any mention on the official site of whether it's a continuous-flow, non-recirculated hot spring, so I wasn't able to confirm that.

Meals, both breakfast and dinner, are apparently served in private rooms within the dining area rather than in the guest rooms themselves. The theme seems to be "creative kaiseki cuisine that changes monthly and makes the most of seasonal ingredients," with an explanation describing it as Japanese cuisine that respects the "five tastes, five cooking methods, and five senses." The lobby is described as "a quiet, tasteful space overlooking the Izu Kogen coastline," and overall, the whole building gives the impression of being designed with a relaxed, leisurely stay in mind.

Access and Parking

The nearest station is Izu Kogen Station on the Izu Kyuko Line, about a 15-minute walk or roughly a 5-minute taxi ride away. It seems there used to be a shuttle bus from the station, but that service ended on August 11, 2021, and isn't available anymore, so that's worth keeping in mind. If you're driving, there's apparently free parking for 8 cars. I couldn't find any specific mention of nearby sightseeing spots in the official site's main text, so I wasn't able to confirm that either.

Rakuten Mobile Signal Conditions

I normally use Rakuten Mobile, and since I don't drive (I have a license but never use it), I always find myself wondering how good the phone signal will be at any travel destination. This time as well, I used the official "my area Coverage Simulation" tool and entered the address for this ryokan's location to check.

The overall result came back as a rating of "C." Since this is a ryokan where you spend your time relaxing in the open-air bath and dining area, you might not end up using your phone all that much anyway—but if you need to check work messages or anything like that, it could be reassuring to ask the ryokan in advance whether they have in-house Wi-Fi.

Komorin

Honestly, getting a C rating was a bit disappointing, but since it's right along the Izu coastline, maybe it's better to think of it as "the poor signal is exactly what lets you truly unwind."

Wrapping Up

To sum it up again, Izu Kogen Onsen Ryokan Homare no Hikari Suigetsu left me with the impression of being a calm, relaxed ryokan with a limited number of rooms, where all 8 rooms come with an open-air bath overlooking the ocean. With things like a private bath and creative kaiseki meals served in private dining rooms, it seems like plenty of time is set aside for things beyond just the guest room itself, making it a good fit for anyone who wants to spend a leisurely time within the property.

On the other hand, the Rakuten Mobile signal came back with a rating of C, so I wanted to share that as-is too. If that's something you're concerned about, you can check it yourself using Rakuten Mobile's official tool, so it might be worth doing before you set off.

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Related Links

• Official Site