Izu Peninsula - Shimoda: HOTELS

On this trip, we moved through different hotels and pensions.

1) Tokyu Resort Shimoda **** (rated 4 stars: lacking character and not quite beachside as expected)
http://www.tokyuhotelsjapan.com/en/TR/TR_SHIMO/index.html

Having stayed in this 'brand' of hotel before, we had expected uber high quality and rather a lush experience.

What we got was 'nice', certainly nothing to grumble about...but nothing amazing either. We were quite pleased to be on the move again the next day!

We decided to walk from Shimoda Izukyu station as we were already geared for a trekking holiday. It was a good 20 minute walk, 10 minutes in a taxi, the only benefit of which means you will avoid the big hill climb at the end.

Off season, the pool is uncared for...
July and August is 'summer'.
This is typical in Japan.)

Actually, we were fortunate enough to discover Perry road by night and witness the quaint historical street that sets Shimoda apart from any other town in Japan! That was definitely worth the walk! The desolate road to the hotel...mmmm maybe not! Watch out for one super tall disused and abandoned hotel, eery as ever!!!

The view from our room!

2) Pension Ishitatsu ***** (rated 5 stars for the sheer fun factor, the walk to the beach and the cost)

http://www.japanican.com/en/hotel/detail/4349A23/?ar=22

This pension offered no frills from the start which was great. We expected nothing, but what we got was a warm Rolling Stones fan welcome from  lovely host. Our room was simple, but with a view.

We had to walk up a hill to find the place, which was completely hidden in a slightly residential area above the main White beach of Shimoda.

We paid ¥7000 for the room (not each, for the room!)

 We walked there from the Tokyu resort hotel on the southern tip and trekked north east along the coast. (For more about the walk itself, see the next post ....)

You can follow the beach and the road for the journey and then swing a left up a hill that takes you away from road with some nice views (at this point it was sunset, so we were hoping to not get so lost!)

 

As a guest of the hotel, you have full use of the kitchen and dining facilities and it was nice to see a family preparing their dinner. We, on the other hand, were less prepared, so we ventured off towards White Beach via a route, explained to us by the owner! He handed us a torch and advised us to watch our step! Into the forest we went!!

This way to Shirahama Beach!

The path down!

It was so fun climbing down and discovering the famous White Beach that we had been wanting to see for such a long time! 

Climbing back up in the dark a few hours later wasn't as scary as you would have thought!!

3) Pension Sakuraya *** (rated 3 stars for the lack of creativeness at dinner time and a bathroom that was too small)

http://izu-sakuraya.jp/english/

This pension was at the top of another hill not far at all from Ishitatsu. It's easy to find and very foreigner-friendly, so for this reason, many guests come from all over. Personally, I didn't enjoy the steak (I'm a vegetarian and forgot to say!!) nor the fact that the potato wedges were but two and very very small...I could have had so many more!!!
   
The room was nice; it was in the extension of the hotel as they had expanded in the past. There were rooms for guests who had en suite and those who were sharing the bath rooms were downstairs. In any case, our bathroom was the smallest I have ever experienced ever and this shouldn't really dampen the mood, but when you are paying three times as much as the night before, you expect more, right?!

4) Hotel Izu Kogen Monogatari ***** (rated 5 stars for the private bath, decent breakfast facilities & reasonable rates)
http://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/izu-kogen-monogatari.en-gb.html

We liked this hotel the best. We had a Japanese style room, with futons. It was another no frills place, with the owners, AKA 'Captain' running scuba diving tours from there. It was such a nice vibe that I even contemplated returning to dive under water...! That is saying something for sure!


It is located between Shimoda and Atami, near Jogasaki and Izu Kogen stations. Perfect for a hike along the Jogasaki coast...which is exactly what we did!
Read all about that here soon!