Miyajima Grand Hotel Arimoto — Hotel in Hatsukaichi

I first visited Miyijima in 2011, as a day trip from Hiroshima (like most people). This time I knew I wanted to stay for a couple of nights on the island - which proved to be a great decision as the island is so enchanting in the evening once most of the tourists have gone back to the mainland. Most of the accommodations on the island are Japanese in style, and so it’s an obvious place to get the full Japanese experience. Unfortunately I struggled a bit to find somewhere to book, as many traditional-style places don’t accept solo travellers, however the Miyajima Grand Hotel Arimoto did and so I booked it.||I booked a Japanese/western style room, which had twin beds plus a large tatami mat area where additional guests could sleep on futons. The room was large, although the bathroom was very small. My room came with a large outside balcony area (by the looks of it only a couple of rooms get this - it’s not the norm) with a swing seat overlooking a side view to the Tori gate. This was a really lovely place to sit in the evenings.||The staff were very helpful, and I had a lovely personal and detailed introduction to the room, which can’t have been easy for them to do in English!||One of the main features of a ryokan-style stay is the food, which is plentiful, extravagant, intricate and (to us westerners) very unusual. They accommodated my request for no shellfish with no issues. You have to be a bit of an adventurous eater (by western standards) as many of the flavours and textures are very unusual. Not all were to my taste, which is to be expected, but regardless the meal was a fantastic experience that I will never forget. The second night was a completely different menu, which they tailored to my request to include more meat (the Hiroshima beef was delicious). I was served by some lovely ladies who explained each of the 12 courses to me. The Japanese breakfast is similarly extravagant, although I did opt for the western breakfast on my second day which was lovely.||All in all I would highly recommend this hotel if you want a traditional ryokan-style experience on the island. I would certainly...

This was the worst hotel we stayed at in Japan. We stayed in the deluxe open bath with shrine view. Absolutely NOT worth the price. The outside bath was perfect. The view is not as advertised. The shrine is hidden behind trees (also fine but don’t say you have the shrine view). The inside bathroom was terrible. Black mold everywhere!!! (See photos). I understand it’s not easy with the wood, but the mold we wiped away on the stone and appliances? Hair in the sink. In general the room was ok. Appliances are heavily outdated (CD player with CD’s upon request?)

The service: After finding out we couldn’t eat breakfast or dinner at the hotel (I have not seen a place where guests aren’t welcome at least for breakfast even if it’s an additional cost). They gave us a list of other restaurants. When we asked to have them call to one place to make a reservation, they said it’s no problem and not needed. We walked there only to find it was completely booked out. Searching now for food, the list of places they gave us said until 9-10pm, but at 7 they were already closed. I realize they can’t control the other locations, but it felt like they blew us off and we were an inconvenience to them.

The location is near the Shrine. This is clearly why they can’t control charge so much for so little service and cleanliness.

When I brought this info up to the desk, it was “oh sorry about that, and our manager doesn’t speak English.”

Just know what you’re paying for. Don’t...

If you're looking to splurge on your visit to Miyajima, this is the place to do it.

We got a western/Japanese room so that people who needed beds could have them and I could sleep on the floor. The futon and pillow were the right amount of firmness for me. The full-size tub is good for relaxing in private. The public baths are nice, too, with both indoor and outdoor tubs, but the right-side bath is a lot nicer than the left-side (which one is for men and which one is for women changes), which is cramped by comparison.

Our meals were lovely. Instead of the standard set, we got sukiyaki for three, which a staff member cooked at our table while we chatted. Many of them do speak English, but even basic Japanese will go a long way in making things easier for you and the staff. The sukiyaki sauce sweetened everything that was cooked in it, so the vegetables, udon noodles, and beef thigh were all kicked up a notch. Breakfast was a choice between a western or Japanese plate, so for the people who don't like fish in the morning, they have you covered.

For sightseeing, the location is hard to beat, as it's just around the corner from Itsukushima Shrine. You can easily pop down at night or in the morning before lots of tourists arrive, or join one of the hotel's walking tours (Japanese only). It's quite a hike from the ferry port with luggage, but they do have a shuttle...