Front of property

Reviews of Iwaso

3.5 out of 5
Iwaso
Momijidani Miyajima, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima-ken

Reviews

9.4

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 144 out of 191 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 37 out of 191 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 5 out of 191 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 4 out of 191 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 191 reviews" "

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Staff & service

9.4/10

Amenities

9.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Sarai

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Alice

Traveled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I never write reviews but Iwaso was unforgettable for so many reasons - it was an awesome traditional ryokan/onsen experience and so incredibly toddler friendly. The food was great and the customer service wonderful. 11/10 recommend.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2023

6/10 Okay

Stephanie

The hotel was great but we could not book dinner on both the nights we were there and there are really limited places to eat on the islands. Staff were nice but not that helpful. The room was lovely and basic as expected. The onsen were lovely
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jay

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We loved Iwaso. Spent one night in the main building and two nights in the new building. The staff were very friendly and most welcoming (we do not speak any Japanese). Highlights include the onsen (very clean and relaxing), the central location (near the hiking trails/shops/restaurants/shrines), and the food both at Iwaso and in town. This is a special place with special staff!

10/10 Excellent

James

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

kong meng

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I liked the meals and housing. The staff were incredibly kind and welcoming. Maybe add an extra mirror and soap in shower.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jorge

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Extraordinary!!
The staff from the Ryokan was very helpful and offer pleny of care. The place itself was incredible difficult to overcome. We could fell the deep within the culture of this world heritage island of Japan. Everything there worthy to visit. We will come back whenever visit Japan.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2021

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
This had been on my radar for years, having stopped in to check it out in the past. The entrance/lobby area is wonderful and the staff members are also wonderful - I guess that is what sold me on it. I finally had a chance to stay there, so made the reservation. I have been in many high end and low end ryokans. In low end things are tattered and food isn't memorable or even very good, but they charge $75-150 per person per night, so I don't expect more. High end ($250-500 per person/night) generally are much nicer with better rooms (with new, nice smelling tatami), nicer baths, and superior food. The price here was about $500-600 before extras for a night for 2 people and I expected much better food. It wasn't bad, but just wasn't special. The room was somewhat tattered and small. The tatami mats must have been old, since there was no nice smell. We had just come from a different ryokan that cost the same and had nicer facilities, a room twice the size and incredible food, so I expected more here. It is older (I think they said 150 years old), but that should be no excuse. The service was very nice and the staff was caring and friendly. I really enjoyed all of the staff members with whom I had any contact. I just expected a nicer room and better food for the price.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2020

8/10 Good

Alan, Ottawa

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very helpful staff; took time to answer a myriad of questions that I’m sure they’ve been asked hundreds of times before. He’d never stayed in a ryokan so enjoyed the room and the onsen.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Fely

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Relaxing stay
Service is great, location is fantastic, food is amazing especially the dinner. Definitely a must stay.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2019

8/10 Good

Wojtek

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Stephen, Calgary, AB

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
IWASO was recommended by a friend and it did not disappoint. The onsen baths were very relaxing with indoor and outdoor baths (separate male and female). The meals were also very good, and the location was beautiful.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Madelynn, Vancouver

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
176 years old and one of the most amazing stays and experiences of my life. I loved the food, the onsen and the amazing Japanese hospitality.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

8/10 Good

Dominique, Montreal, Canada

Traveled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The staff was really dedicated and welcoming. Food was great. It gives us the opportunity to experience a ryokan to the fullest. The woman taking care of us was so caring with our kids and she did her best to speak English and make herself understood. The surroundings are beautiful and the sound of the river in our room made the stay quite relaxing. However, for the cost, we felt that the property could be updated. Carpets were run down and bathroom facilities out of date. We would have expected a top notch properly for the price we paid.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner, Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Iwaso is hands down the best hotel experience that my wife and I have ever had. The service from the time you step into the Ryokan is top notch, as is the food. Both the dinner and the breakfast provided were of superior quality. The onsen at the inn was also a wonderful experience, especially the outdoor one. Highly recommended if you are staying on Miyajima.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Our first ryokan so can’t compare but it was lovely with fabulous service and food and lovely room and gorgeous gardens.
Stayed 1 night in May 2019
Response from front manager on Jun 18, 2019
Dear Guest. Thank you very much for choosing IWASO. We appreciate your comments. We are pleased by your kind words and will continue to make efforts to refine our services so that each and every guest will be comfortable in our hotel. We are truly looking forward to welcoming you if you visit MIYAJIMA again.

8/10 Good

Toan My

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Worth staying at IWASO
All good
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019
Response from front manager on Jun 18, 2019
Dear Gest. Thank you very much for writing us a wonderful review. Our team is very pleased to hear that you had a wonderful time with us. We hope to welcome you again soon. Sincerely, Front Manager IWASO, Hiroshima Miyajima

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2019

10/10 Excellent

Rosanna, London, England

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Iwaso was everything I had hoped it would be. A wonderful experience in a traditional Japanese inn. Everything is peaceful and relaxed. A perfect spot to stay to escape the world. It’s also perfect if you’re keen to explore Miyajima, as it’s right on the main hiking path and only a short stroll to the Itsukushima shrine. Highly highly recommend it!
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2019

10/10 Excellent

Mark, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful inn in a spectacular location! Staff could not be nicer! Truly a delightful place!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2018

10/10 Excellent

JohnnyN, Toronto(Canada)

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing location surrounded by tranquility. Waterfall, endless rows of trees, and mountains adjacent to the property. Customer Service here was truly phenomenal. Dinner was served in our room and our room attendant did a fantastic job. The windows in the room slides all the way providing a beautiful view of the mountains. Will definitely stay here again!
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2018

10/10 Excellent

Li Xin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing service and every need met. Will definitely come back again!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018

8/10 Good

Serena

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great stay with some reservations
The service at this ryokan is fantastic as is the location (a few minutes from the famous tori gates). However, the kaiseki meal (while traditonal) May be hard for American palates to appreciate. Consider packing snacks in case you are left hungry - as we were. Breakfast on the other hand is fantastic. Also note the onsen is sexy segregated but fully nude (no bathing suits allowed).
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018

10/10 Excellent

Brian, Australian

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
An absolutely amazing experience!
Shocked by the beauty of the surrounds. Rooms were incredible. Staff were amazing. Traditional dinner is not to be missed. This stop has been the highlight of our trip so far.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018

10/10 Excellent

S, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Iwaso Ryokan
We spent a night at Iwaso earlier this month (September 2018). It is a lovely ryokan. I was particularly impressed by the staff, who were so hospitable and went out of their way to make sure that we had an excellent time. The onsen are fantastic - in particular, spending time in the outside one at night is a very pleasant experience. We very much enjoyed the kaiseki meal - some of it very much new to us, but delicious and an awful lot of effort had clearly gone into it. Quality of the ingredients was noticeably high. They also were kind in taking into account dietary issues (eg my wife’s allergy to shellfish). My only issue with it was that shark fin soup was served as a substitute course - we were a little surprised at that but perhaps shouldn’t have been. As other reviewers have noted, some of the building looks like a modern hotel (a very nice one). The entrance hall and rooms were both very charming. We did not have a good view from our room - it looked onto a concrete balcony with a raIling - but I expect many other rooms will have beautiful views out over the forest. We were very glad we stayed here.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018

10/10 Excellent

Simon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018
Response from Front Manager on Sep 19, 2018
Dear Guest. Thank you very much for your stay with us and for taking your time to share your experiences at IWASO. It was a great pleasure to have you with us. Your kind words are of the greatest encouragement to all of us. We are glad that you enjoyed the design of IWASO which embodies traditional Japanese aesthetics. We do look forward to welcoming you again.

10/10 Excellent

Christopher

Exactly what we wanted from a ryokan stay
An incredible ryokan experience! From the moment you walk into the lobby to the moment you leave, the staff are 100% committed to making sure you enjoy your stay. The food was excellent and each turn of the traditional kaiseki meal was described in detail. It might not suit all tastes, but you always know what you are getting into it. The rooms are gorgeous, with lovely views of Miyajima. Iwaso is perfectly located so that you can make the most of your stay there. It's a short walk from the torii gate, from the picturesque shrine, and just steps from the path that leads to the roapway up Mt. Misen. Don't forget about the onsen! You can soak with views of the island's natural setting. If we ever make it back to Miyajima, I wouldn't hesitate to visit Iwaso again!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018

10/10 Excellent

Dawn, San Jose, CA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
From the first encounter at the ferry terminal to check-out our experience was fantastic. Can't recommend highly enough - especially for the caring and committed staff who went over and beyond to accommodate our requests and offer helpful suggestions.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018
Response from Front Manager on Sep 19, 2018
Dear Guest. Thank you very much for staying at IWASO. Your comments are truly appreciated. We are pleased that you could relax in the room we prepared for you, and that the staff's response met your expectations.Your kind words encourage us and we will continue to make efforts to refine our services so that each and every guest will be comfortable in our hotel. We are truly looking forward to welcoming you if you visit MIYAJIMA again.

6/10 Okay

Rosemary

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
A disappointing experience.
Objective feedback. Our 2-day stay was supposed to be the highlight of our 3-week tour of Japan, but an earlier stay in a (much cheaper) lovely, warm, welcoming ryokan, with top-class food, had set the bar high. The island is pleasant, but we arrived just as the weather was turning for the worse, also the cable-car was closed, so once we had seen the (lovely) sites, there was not much else to do except visit the aquarium. The hotel is ok, but dated. Our room may not have been one of the best, although for money it should have been! We only had 2 chairs for the 3 of us, and the bathroom was straight out of the 1970s. We slept in one room and ate in another, the other side of the corridor, which felt odd and a bit pretentious. The part of the hotel that we stayed in felt dated, a bit like walking down the corridors in a motel. The hotel is situated on quite a main route, not in private gardens, which is what you would think from the website. Dinner look amazing but the quality was not a patch on what we had had elsewhere. There was a lot of cold food, which was not to our taste. It was served by a shy, attentive waitress - our ‘room maid’. The onsen in the basement was the best part, large, new, beautifully kitted out with everything you might need. A real treat. As in the rest of Japan, the staff were extremely polite and helpful, but it did not appear to be authentic. It felt like an 'act for the tourists'. My husband was bitterly disappointed with the whole experie
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018
Response from Front Office Manager on Sep 19, 2018
Dear Guest. We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation for your staying at IWASO during your recent visit to Japan. Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. We would like to offer our sincere apologies for the disappointment of your stay. We will definitely take your suggestion into consideration for our future service operations. Again, thank you for your valuable remarks. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back in the near future.

10/10 Excellent

Amanda, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful traditional ryokan
Iwaki occupies a beautiful spot close to the famous tori gate. The staff spoke excellent English and were very welcoming. The evening meal was delicious and served in a private room in the restaurant and the onsen was lovely with an out door bath. We stayed for one night and our family of four shared a traditional room sleeping on futons which was very comfortable. I would highly recommend Iwaso and would stay again.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2018
Response from Front office manager on Jul 25, 2018
Dear Guest So pleased to read of your recent experience at IWASO. At IWASO, we make every effort to ensure that all guests receive the utmost in service, and I am thrilled that you experienced the service we are so renowned for on an international scale. I will be sure to share your kind words of acknowledgement in the services and product offering provided to you by our team - I know they will be most pleased that they could contribute to ensuring you had a memorable stay with us. My team and I certainly look forward to the pleasure of welcoming your return on another occasion.

10/10 Excellent

Prue, Napier NZ

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful Place
The experience of staying at such a beautiful location in a lovely place is a must room over the riverside with the sound of running water is magical Loved staying there
Stayed 1 night in May 2018

10/10 Excellent

CG, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A real treat
We loved Miyajima and staying at Iwaso was great. We were in an end room which had views towards the sea and was clean and comfortable. We enjoyed the onsen and had a lovely dinner.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2018
Response from Front office Manager on May 17, 2018
Thank you very much for your stay with us and for taking your time to share your experiences at IWASO. It was a great pleasure to have you with us. Your kind words are of the greatest encouragement to all of us. We are glad that you enjoyed the design of IWASO which embodies traditional Japanese aesthetics. We do look forward to welcoming you again.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The service was impecable. Enjoyed the onsen and the traditional dinner in the room was delicious. The bedding in the tatami mats was so comfortable too!
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2018
Response from Front office Manager on May 17, 2018
Dear Guest, Thank you very much for staying at IWASO and for taking your time to share wonderful feedback. We also would like to thank you for such high rate you have given to us with many of the great comments about our service. We are truly delighted to know that our service met your expectations. It is always encouraging and more inspiring whenever we receive positive feedback from our valued guests. I sincerely hope we will get another chance to welcome you back in the near future. Please receive our very best regards,

8/10 Good

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Room comfort
Chill time with wife.
This may be a bit unfair but this property is well located, staff and service is great. Room is weeny teeny small. No closet. Live off suitcase that is placed along passage way in room. Yes it forced us to have some discipline but that's not what living in a hotel room used to be. Bath and wc area is surprising large. I think it occupies about 30% of the entire room. Yes to have a hot bath onsen style is great. But the long bath is not useful as by the time it is filled, the water temperature has gone down. I thought a better idea would be to retain the bath side WITHOUT the long bath which would free up space for a closet and better use of space.
Response from Front office on Apr 25, 2018
Thank you very much for your stay with us and for taking your time to share your experiences at IWASO. It was a great pleasure to have you with us. Your kind words are of the greatest encouragement to all of us. We are glad that you enjoyed the design of IWASO which embodies traditional Japanese aesthetics. We do look forward to welcoming you again.

8/10 Good

Ivan Jaya

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2018

10/10 Excellent

Ana, madrid

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The perfect ryokan to live the magic ofnMiyajima
We stayed in Iwaso as part or our honeymoon travel in Japan and it was by far the best accommodation in the 21 days we travelled around the country. The room was perfect and big, the service incredible, the futon super confortable and the onsen amaizing. The dinner was also one of the best meals we had in the trip. I really recommend it, it was the perfect place to stay in Miyajima.
Stayed 1 night in Oct 2017

10/10 Excellent

Christopher, Toronto Ontario Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Island Paradise
Iwaso Ryokan on the island of Miyajima is a beautiful oasis, especially in the evening when fewer tourist are on the island. Our room was spacious, the staff attentive, and the food delicious and fresh.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2017

10/10 Excellent

Margaret, England

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful hotel close to Itsukushima Shrine
Excellent location if you want to visit the Great Toril, just 10 mins walk from the ferry station. We stayed for one night with dinner, the dinner was served in our room, the food was fabulous and the service excellent. Love the public bath to finish the day!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2017

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Magical experience
We had a magical experience in this hotel. The service, room, and food were exceptional.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2017

10/10 Excellent

Joe, Boston, MA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great high end ryokan experience
The service is impeccable, the room is very comfortable, complete with a small sitting room facing the hills. We got a 4th floor room that can see a bit of the great torii, but the trees obscures much of it. Our hostess speaks excellent English, and was very thorough in taking care of us. She served the dinner in our room, set up our futon, and gave us all the instructions on how to use the onsen. It was great Japanese hospitality. The dinner was a 7 course Kaiseki. The food was good and looks great, but not outstanding compared to, say, Kikunoi, where we had dinner a few night afterwards. The location of the ryokan is very close to all the attractions. It is about 5min walk from the Itsukushima Shrine. The ropeway station up Mount Misen is about 10min walk.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2017

8/10 Good

Martin, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fabulous authentic Japanese experience.
This high quality authentic Ryokan experience was one of the best things we did on our holiday. The location is stunning, the room comfortable and the food wonderful. We also enjoyed the Onsen and walking in the forest and the local temple grounds.

10/10 Excellent

Aaron, Dallas, TX

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Awesome Japanese experience
The traditional Japanese dinner and breakfast were one of the best experiences at Iwaso. The baths were spacious, but I wish the outdoor bath was a bit more open to the night sky.

10/10 Excellent

Valeria

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing
Amazing experience, we cannot recommend it enough. The hotel is beautiful, cosy and offers a unique ryokan experience. The onsen (bath) area is great too and we had the full dinner experience in the room which was memorable. It is absolutely worth the trip to Miyajima, one of the best memories from our two weeks in Japan.

10/10 Excellent

Eugene

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A Wonderful Experience
My wife and I spent two night wonderful nights at Iwaso. For an authentic Japanese experience this is the place. Sleep on the floor (yes it's comfortable), dress in traditional style for private Japanese dinner, excellent breakfast, outstanding service, great location for walking and seeing the sights, transportation to and from the dock. Overall a truly wonderful time. Do not miss!!!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort