Akazawa Geihinkan
unscored · Ikyu 4.7 / 5no first-hand write-up in the thread
Akazawa Geihinkan is a 15-room sukiya hideaway on 1,000-plus tsubo above the Akazawa coast at Izu Kōgen, with Ajiro-woven ceilings and a private open-air bath in every room. Its signature is deep-sea water, drawn from about 800 m offshore and run through the room baths, the public baths and the cooking, and there is no hot spring, though guests get the adjoining Akazawa resort's sea-view day-bath, spa and sauna free. Ikyu guests put it near 4.73 over about 81 stays, with the baths and facilities their high marks.
Scores
Food
Dinner is seasonal kaiseki built on the Izu coastal catch and served in private dining rooms, and guests praise the chef's technique and generous portions. Ikyu guests put the meals near 4.63, below the baths, and the occasional chipped clay pot or piece of tableware has been noted since the change of ownership.
Bath
Unusually, there is no hot spring here. Every room's open-air bath, the two public baths, a deep-sea-water pool and a barrel sauna all run on deep-sea water drawn from about 800 m off the Akazawa coast, prized for its buoyancy, and guests also get the neighbouring Akazawa resort's sea-view day-onsen, spa and sauna free. Ikyu guests put the baths near 4.84, among the top marks.
Service
Warm, smiling welcomes and smooth escorting to the room draw repeat praise, and anniversary guests leave delighted, but Ikyu guests put the service near 4.59, the softest of the marks, and the recurring friction is meal explanations from international staff that some guests found hard to follow.
Room
The fifteen Japanese-style rooms run about 68 square metres, up to a 150-square-metre detached villa, and each opens onto a private open-air deep-sea-water bath framed by garden or landscape; some detached villas add a private sauna. Ikyu guests put the rooms near 4.77 and call them bright, clean and relaxing, with the bird-song garden views a repeated highlight.
Place
The inn is a 1,000-tsubo sukiya estate above Sagami Bay at Izu Kōgen, with Ajiro-woven ceilings, Juraku-plaster walls and a broad Japanese garden, and guests have free run of the Akazawa onsen resort next door: spa, bowling and sea-view day-bath, plus a games lounge with free drinks. Ikyu guests put the facilities near 4.86, among the strongest marks, and call them strong value.
Getting there
- Tokyo — 2h20, 0 transfers. JR Ltd Exp 'Odoriko' Tokyo→Izu-Kōgen (~2h, one seat) — or Shinkansen Tokyo→Atami (~40 min) + Izukyū Line — then the inn's free shuttle (~6–15 min, reserve).
- Kyoto — 3h45, 1 transfer. Reverse of: Izukyū Izu-Kōgen→Atami (~50 min), then 'Hikari' Atami→Kyoto (~2h; 'Nozomi' skips Atami).