We booked a Japanese-style room with a private hot tub on the balcony, and it was a great decision. We enjoyed a beautiful view of the forested mountains and the train bridge. The hotel offers excellent kaiseki-style dinners and an even better breakfast buffet—I recommend booking meals with your stay, as there are no restaurant options nearby. The room has only an outdoor shower next to the tub on the balcony, but there’s a nice onsen in the hotel, which is also tattoo-friendly. Overall, it was a wonderful two-night stay with only minor inconveniences.

We knew we were booking a smoking room (all Japanese-style rooms here are smoking rooms) and were offered airing and deodorizing before our arrival, as we’re not smokers. I assume they did their best, but the smell from years of smoking guests was really ingrained in the room. You get used to it quickly, but honestly, we didn’t expect the smell to be quite so strong (both inside the room and hallway). The hotel is quite old—likely from the 80s—and could benefit from a thorough renovation.

Loved the outdoor private bath. Our room was a smoking room (no others available for our stay) but we asked for it to be deodorised before our stay and it did not smell of cigarette smoke. There was just a slight odour in the corridor outside our room, as there were presumably smoking rooms nearby. Food was excellent and location perfect for exploring the Iya Valley area. There is a shuttle bus to the station but best to have a car (there is a big car park). Personnel were all lovely.

Not a big deal but the cigarette smoke in the corridor.

Although this property is aging, and it rained a lot while I was there, I loved it. The staff is very friendly, cheerful and helpful. My room was huge! There was a closet, a desk and a table with two chairs. There was also a large window, so a lot of natural light. The communication about my arrival time at the Oboke station went smoothly, and someone was there to pick me up as promised. I chose to have two breakfasts and two dinners at Sunriver. Both were amazing. The dinner server explained all the dishes with the help of a printed English menu. A free shuttle leaves three times every morning for the boat dock and station. The public bus stops nearby, too, but it doesn’t run very often. If you arrive at Oboke station, take a photo of the bus schedule before you get in the van. The English version is posted just outside the station doorway. The onsen is on an upper floor. Because the windows steam up, there isn’t much of a view. It was similar to other hotel onsens I used. Perfectly fine, but not extraordinary. The charge for two nights and four meals was exactly what I paid for one night in a tiny room near Tokyo station.

The carpeting in the hallways and the rooms is old and soiled.

We booked a stay at a ryokan that offered an open-air bath, which included breakfast and dinner. We found the staff to be lovely and very accommodating. The hotel had an extensive selection of pretty yukata for women, with various obi colours available. The room we booked was a Japanese-style room. While the room itself was nice, it did have a slightly outdated feel. The futons provided were thick and comfortable. We were initially unsure how to set up the bedding, but the staff took care of it for us and noticed our beds were ready after we returned from dinner. The dinner showcased local dishes, adding to the overall experience. While not something extraordinary, it was satisfying and very filling. However, in comparison to other ryokans, the buffet-style instead of the traditional Japanese-style. This suited us, as we’ve been yearning for a break from Japanese food. Breakfast was mediocre, and the hotel offered a variety of both Western and Asian cuisine alongside a selection of hot and cold beverages.

As pointed out in other reviews, the room we stayed in had an outdated aesthetic, with orange/yellowish walls that made it somewhat gloomy. Although our room included a toilet, it lacked a proper shower, apart from the one adjacent to our outdoor bath. For a complete shower, guests will need to utilize the hotel’s communal bath. It is worth noting for people considering this room that you will be showering outdoors, occasionally in chilly or rainy conditions. Also, the outdoor bathing area lacked sufficient lighting, aside from the small lamp at the edge, which provided minimal illumination. The lack of adequate lighting can make it showering difficult at night.

The room was a large, traditional Japanese room with a private bath on the outdoor deck. The view from the room was nice, looking out towards the wooded hillside and train tracks. The room also included a seating area (with chairs) as well. The room did include a toilet in a separate room and a sink in an area off the seating area. The facility offered traditional set dinners and buffet breakfasts and provided yukata and short jackets that many diners wore to the restaurant. The dining area did offer sake and beer. There was an onsen on site that we did not use.

The set dinners were pretty good - and plentiful - but much of the food was put out well before we arrived and what seemed like it should have been warm (identified as "Grilled Dish" and "Warm Dish" for example) was cold by the time we got there. The dining area was also terribly over illuminated- made it feel like you were eating in a cafeteria. The location is a little off the beaten track so it took awhile to get there and back to the train station.

The room with the private bath is amazing. You can look out into the valley whilst relaxing - very serene! The traditional Japanese room also gives you a great little introduction to Japanese culture.

You were not provided with any body wash, this could only be found in the public onsen. There is also a curfew with the hotel locking up at 10pm - unable to enter or leave from then on - it might hinder some people but wasn’t an issue for us.

This was a treat for us. Paying a bit more for an onsen on our balcony with mountain views. It was great but the view wasn't as good as I had hoped, but still great. Mainly looking out at the side of one hill rather than a more panoramic view. We opted to have dinner and breakfast included and both were good and quite generous.

Had that strange thing where it cost twice as much to have 2 people in one room as 2. This seems too much but is the case in some Japanese places. We could have taken 2 rooms for the same price.

Great location, in a beautiful river valley. We had a car, so it was easy to drive to points of interest (vine bridges, mountain walks, mountain lookouts) and parking was available at hotel. Onsen was lovely - indoor and small outdoor onsen, gender separated. Facilities were clean and tidy. Staff were friendly and helpful. Evening meals were set menu, multi-course and really interesting/tasty.

Overall a really great stay. Would be helpful if instructions (for foreigners) were provided about dinner/meal etiquette, as we were unsure about wearing the happi-jackets/kimono to the dining room and the order for eating the multi-course meal.

The open air bath on our room's balcony was amazing, as was dinner. Breakfast was pretty good too! This was our first time staying in a ryokan and it was as magical as I had hoped.

I knew before I booked that there were no private showers available or any in the rooms, but I would suggest one or two are added to the public bath washrooms, or somewhere else within the hotel, to make sure everyone is comfortable washing during their stay.

The location is excellent.Although not further into the Iya valley as the other accommodation offerings are , they , the others are three times the price.You really need a car to appreciate this area and if you have a car the location is fine.It would be a fantastic experience to travel into the valley by train, however you would then be basically stuck we’re ever you got off the train , as public transport other than train in and train out , is almost non existent. This is a good honest property albeit delightfully old fashioned.It lacks the polish of a lot of other properties, but that is half its attraction. Rooms clean well appointed with all you need. Highly recommend this property in this quite extraordinary location ie the Iya Valley, Shikoku.

The front of house people were a bit disinterested in the whole process , but not to the point of rudeness. What countered was they facilitated all the necessary services to make the whole stay most enjoyable. The onsen is very basic.The sauna was not available in the morning before departure. But at least they actually have an onsen.