West Izu boasts little sightseeing, to be honest; it's best known for its hot springs and scuba diving, as a place where people come to relax and take in the ocean scenery. To that end, many of the hotels are destinations in their own right, with facilities to make a stay fun enough that you don't need to leave, and Itoen Hotel provides exactly that.
A little way south of the centre of town, it's an imposing seafront edifice, with most of the rooms providing handsome views of the ocean. (Not mine, though; I chose one of the cheaper, very basic single rooms, with a misleadingly described 'mountain view' which was an extreme close-up of a hillside.) You can also enjoy a vista of the sea from the spacious lounge near the lobby, and from the hot spring baths that are the main attraction here.
My stay here went like this:
Check in: the staff speak a little English, and the check-in procedure was smooth and fast.
Sightseeing: this didn't take long, partly because I was pressed for time, partly because there just isn't a lot to see in the town. I skipped the gold mine, but did find a couple of nice Buddhist temples, Seiun-ji and Anraku-ji.
Bath: I took my time over this, alternating between the sauna and hot spring bath, looking out over the blue ocean.
Dinner: I chose to include the buffet dinner, and I was very glad I did! The large dining room has a fun, lively convivial atmosphere, with many of the guests in their hotel yukata. There's a whole wide range of Japanese food on the buffet, like an izakaya menu writ large: ramen, udon and tempura, sashimi and sushi, Korean chijimi pancakes, curry rice, salad, deep-fried goodies and meat on skewers, then ice cream or cakes for dessert. And there's all-you-can-drink alcohol, with beer, tasty local orange and 'bay berry' liqueurs, and pumps to refill your sake flasks.
Breakfast: I also included the buffet breakfast, which was just as good and varied as the dinner, with a great variety of Japanese and western style breakfast foods. My one niggle here was that they didn't provide proper juice, giving us rather 'juice drinks' and soft drinks from a vending machine.
Unfortunately, at the time I traveled I was suffering from a virus and consequently exhausted, so I couldn't enjoy everything they had to offer (but I did appreciate the generous 12:00pm checkout). This was disappointing, because they have plenty of low-key but light-hearted ways to entertain yourselves: pool tables, table-tennis, a games room with air hockey, slot machines and pachinko, even a few karaoke rooms. If you're somehow not full after dinner, you can add fuel from the vending machines in the hotel, with soft drinks, cigarettes and rather overpriced beer.
As I said, I went for one of the very basic single rooms: I did have a TV and fridge, but no desk, bath or shower. They also have Japanese-style rooms with tatami floors and futons, and western-style triple rooms: from the floor plan it looks like some of the rooms have private baths on balconies overlooking the sea.
Finally, before you leave, you can buy your souvenirs from a well-stocked shop near reception: they have plenty of goods made with local honey, oranges and wasabi, among them cakes, snacks, soaps and shampoos.
