arcana izu オーベルジュ

We returned to Arcana a mere seven months after our first stay... that in itself says something, because we rarely - if ever - visit the same place twice. The property itself is in a stunning locations, and all rooms feature picturesque views of the river and valley below and the mountain and forests beyond. The rooms are comfortable, and all of them have their own Onsen hot springs bath. It's all good when staying here, but it doesn't stand out when compared to other top-flight luxury ryokans in Japan (and even the Izu area.) The reason to stay here is for the food. As we were a party of four, we booked two rooms - "The Suite" (the same room we stayed in last time), and one of the River Wing Suites. "The Suite" is the top room category at Arcana, and while it's a comfortable place to relax and unwind, at just over 85 square meters it is not particularly spacious when compared to the best rooms elsewhere. The River Wing Suite is slightly less roomy at 75 square meters. Again, nothing to sneeze at, but if you're looking for massive, villa-style accommodations, you won't find it at Arcana. Still, it's tastefully furnished and decorated, has all of the amenities that one would expect in a ryokan of this caliber, and the setting will lower just about anyone's heart rate by a few notches. Two nitpicks: first off, there is no TV in the room. While I understand and appreciate Arcana's philosophy and ethos, I disagree with being forced on us without offering us a choice. It turns out that my mother-in-law is not a "streaming" person, doesn't carry a laptop PC, and likes watching "standard" TV programs. After a few hours in the room, she became thoroughly bored. Secondly, Arcana's age shows in a few small areas. The bathroom and shower tiles look like they're from the turn of the century - Arcana is not a historic or traditional property, so it needs to keep up with the times, and renovate frequently. While they've done a decent job keeping the look fresh and well maintained, I feel that they're a bit overdue for a refresh of their lower category rooms. All of the minor annoyances quickly evaporate once you get seated at the dining table in the restaurant. As an Auberge property that serves fusion Japanese-French cuisine, Arcana has no peer. It's simply a spectacularly lavish and unforgettable affair. The menu changes seasonally (unless you stay for consecutive days or return during the same season, in which case they'll definitely alter the menu for you), and once it's over, the executive chef will NEVER offer the same dishes ever again. He's so confident in his ability to tinker with ingredients that he's always looking ahead, and never backwards. This speaks to his magical ability to dream up super creative offerings that will astound you. As spectacular as the dinner was, in some ways breakfast was even more noteworthy - it's generally much more difficult to differentiate breakfasts, but at Arcana, they put out all the stops to give you a taste of

While we love traditional ryokans that offer delectable kaiseki fare, there's something special about relaxing at an onsen property that offers up great Japanese-European fusion cuisine. Arcana does a wonderful job merging the best aspects of Japanese and Western food, decor and hospitality. Tucked away in a quaint area along the picturesque and serene Kano River in the heart of the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, Arcana is surrounded by nature, and blends in nicely to its environment. Its architecture is a small modern European resort-style in appearance, and the interior of the rooms and common areas are airy and are arranged in a way that lets in an abundance of natural light. It's a very small boutique ryokan that lacks a common area or lobby - there are just a few buildings that contain the rooms, as well as a separate building where the restaurant is located. That's it. We stayed in "The Suite," the top category room at Arcana, and while it was sufficiently spacious at 86.4m², and was comfortable and clean, it wasn't quite as "wow"-inducing as some other rooms we've stayed in (many of them measuring well over 100 square meters in size.) It's also an open plan, where the bedroom and living room are not separated, which is a minus if you need to get some work done while your significant other wants to take a nap. Still, the contemporary furnishings and the very large windows (with views of the river below and the valley beyond) really provides for a tranquil setting that is incredibly relaxing. On top of that, the outdoor rotenburo (outdoor Onsen hot springs bath) was located on the deck with great views of the river (and forest beyond), and was a great place to chillax to the max. For what it's worth, we were given a tour of some of the other rooms at Arcana, and they are similar in decor and layout - just smaller in size, but still with the incredible views of the river. The real star of Arcana is definitely the food. It's right up there with the best restaurants that Tokyo (and Paris and Rome) have to offer. The chef is famously talented, and has many proteges that have moved onto becoming well renowned in their own right (including Sankara Hotel in Yakushima, which also has incredible food.) An abundance of wonderful ingredients from the land and Sea, combined with the talented and passionate kitchen staff at Arcana, results in a Japanese-Western fusion experience that is unlike any other. Many of the dishes are created for one season, and then is never made ever again - they're that innovative - they want to move on and continue to experiment. And they do that with amazing results. While many of the courses are European-inspired, at its heart the cuisine is still very Japanese. Some dishes are enjoyed with a spoon or fork/knife, while others are to be consumed via chopsticks. And the sauces are fused with various forms of Dashi, giving it the sort of Umami-abundant (but still not heavy) flavoring that we often find lacking

What a wonderful stay and experience! All room facing to the nature and river. You feel surrounded by the forest! Once you enter the room, all your mind becomes peaceful and grounded. They don't have TV inside the room, what a good concept! You come to retreat yourself or have a good time to reconnect the nature! They have a series of Onsen music to enjoy...morning, dawn and night time music! Very details in different sensations! They don't have TV inside the room, what a good concept! You come to retreat yourself or have a good time to reconnect the nature! They have a series of Onsen music to enjoy...morning, dawn and night time music! So details for difference sensation! Room is huge with a living room with whole glass window can enjoy the green. The private outdoor onsen you can access directly by shower room. once open the door the sound from the trees and river, like they said it is absolutely a self-recovery jounery. Whole dinner and breakfast are super extraordinary and unique experiences! We are so touching because after check-in we went out to have a walk and take photos under a very hidden bridge and it was raining, and their hotel manager Sasaki San find us and bring us umbrellas! We don't know how he find us and it was so caring and touching! It absolutely one of the best and incredible experiences! Want to visit again definitely!!! Also, thanks for Butler Nao san is very sweet and friendly! Wish to see her again! :)