Andanomori Izu Ippekiko

A very friendly resort style hotel situated in the pleasantly hilly countryside of Izu. The hotel has an Indonesian theme to it so as opposed to wearing yukutas (as in ryokans) guests tend to wear Indonesian style attire (offered for free at reception) when lounging around the hotel and its grounds but rest assured this is not required. The rooms are clean, spacious with a king size bed, TV, BluRay player, fridge, sofa, massage chair and air purifier/humidifier. There a lot of free facilities on offer such as a library (stocked with Japanese manga but bring your own books and relax there if you prefer), 3 karaoke rooms, Wii and PS4 available (though not sure if there's a charge). There's also a small games room with table tennis, darts (somewhat broken), a (strange old Japanese) arcade game and table football (soccer). Due to it's somewhat remote location it's highly recommended to visit by car (rentals available near Ito station) if you prefer too see the local attractions at leisure. The hotel does provide free bikes but it's first come first served and there are only 5 (?) of them [3 adults/2 kids]. Be aware however that the locale is quite hilly and you'll often be dismounting to push bikes up hill as we spent going to nearby Mt. Omuro. The hotel provides a twice daily shuttle bus to/from Ito station around 13:45 and 16:45 so best to arrive around these times to avoid a long wait in Ito. Pick up location is from just across the road from Ito station and the bus is easily recognizable withe the resort's name on the side. The breakfast spread was good and extensive which was nice but be aware that if you don't pay for a 'course stay' which includes dinner you will not be able to dine at the hotel in the evening! I was surprised by this and we ended up having to take a taxi to a local restaurant (approx. ¥1,000 each way). Nearest convenience store is also a taxi ride away! The hotel has a nice garden which has two private onsen 'cabins' which were great to use. One can't reserve their use so there is a sign above reception showing whether they're currently in use (I imagine when the onsen door is locked the 'occupied' sign lights up at the reception in the nearby main building). As such once the light goes out I imagine a bit of a rush during busy times to get to one first before others do. Again, another reason to go mid-week when it's quieter. I'm not sure about the staff's English ability as I visited with a Japanese speaker but I'm confident that as friendly as they are your needs will be met to the best of their abilities. As previously mentioned I highly recommend going mid-week and off season if possible as it's an oasis of calm in the countryside which a high weekend occupancy might detract from.