Imagine you’ve picked up a yellowed copy of National Geographic from 1972. You see an article titled “Serenity by the Sea: Discovering the Timeless Charm of a Seaside Ryokan in Miyajima”. The photos show a traditional hotel with the fashionable colours of the 70s: brown, beige and yellow. That’s what the hotel looks like even today, with almost no updates: including to the furniture and bathroom facilities.
I feel a little guilty criticizing the place, since, as other reviewers have said, the staff try hard. The shuttle service was good. The view was okay at sunrise. Also, the other guests (almost all non-Japanese) looked happy with their yukatas and the traditional food.
However, based on the price and marketing (which almost makes it sound like a resort), I expected the standards to be higher. As others have said, the bath facilities are really mediocre and outdated. The futon was nothing like the comfortable ones at other ryokans. The food would be impressive for your first meal in Japan, but not for your 10th. Also, the room stank. It should be aired out between visits, at least.
So if you want to do a little time travel, come here, but don’t expect too much. I’m only posting this because if you only look at the most recent reviews, you may get an inaccurate image of this place. Look at the one and two star reviews as well: things haven’t improved since then. This was our only poor experience in a Japanese hotel, and it was way too expensive for what it offered.