The place is not what it is cracked up to be. First thing is that the location is rather poor. There is one attraction in Ikaho Onsen, namely the stone steps, and this ryokan is located at good 10 minutes on foot downhill from it. For fairness, they have a shuttle service and readily take guests where they want to go. The rooms are ok, but nothing special compared to comparable ryokans, same for food. Also the public baths are a bit disappointing. Obviously they paid a good photographer, as reality does not look as good as the photos. In most ryokans, the men's and women's bath get interchanged once per day, so you can experience them both, this is not the case here. Also, they do not draw the water from the famous "golden colored" source, but a secondary clear-colored source. The public baths are on the top floor and have good views. As a plus, there are many hair- and skin care products to try out. On the whole, the place is average and you can have better in this price range.More