The location was perfect, perfect stop for the half way Shimanami- kaido route. It has several grocery shops at about 20' walk. The view was amazing too! The dormitory was really nice with 4 beds, which were incredibly spacious, it was amazing. The bathrooms were nice, not mixed, shared with some of the other rooms, but it was never an issue. Everything was extremely well kept and clean. The place has a nice minimal and nature inspired design to it. The staff was so kind and helpful. They helped me figure out some of my logistics. I was able to leave my bags there before check-in. Also, they have a space to leave your bike. The 'restaurant' has a great feel, great coffee, but I didn't try the food. Also, their roastery across the street is amazing, would highly recommend! Would 100% stay there again!

This was not an issue, however there is no common space to eat/drink and meet people.

Another night another room. We kept extending our stay on Setoda so experienced 3 different rooms. This place is gorgeous. We completely chilled and unwound, enjoying cycling and exploring the island and cycling the lost lanes of Ohmishima. Instead of Onomichi to Imambari we located ourselves on Setoda and did day cycle trips. We had the back roads to ourselves. Always wonderful to return to Soil at night. The staff are incredible. So kind, friendly and with flawless English. Don’t miss having dinner at Tan Tan next door, a culinary experience not to miss. My favourite meal ever experienced in Japan.

Given the island is filled with oranges and mandarins, a breakfast of local citrus fruits and yoghurt would be a great addition for gaijin! A plate of salad leaves and a tuna melt for breakfast is strange.

Room - the family size rooms were booked so we stayed in a dorm with 2 adults and 2 kids. The kids loved it! It was very comfortable and convenient. Location - setoda is a beautiful town and was just the right distance for our kids to ride from onomichi. You can also catch a boat ride back to onomichi if people have sore bums on day 2! Meals - The hotel has a restaurant downstairs which was excellent. We had a delicious breakfast, and wished we’d had dinner there too.

It was ok for us, but elderly or those with very young kids might find the stairs up to the room and bunks in the dorm a little dangerous.

SOIL Setoda is a beautiful and efficient little hotel that is connected to an associated cafe and bike rental. The building is modern and incredibly comfortable too! The staff are helpful and sociable, the cafe has excellent atmosphere and coffee, and the port is less than two minutes away.

The hotel is generally small, however, this is compensated for by efficient design. Moreover, I believe SOIL Setoda has an expansion planned for those who prefer a larger and more private room. For student travellers dinner and bike rental is comparatively expensive to other services available in Setoda.

This was the most wonderful place to stay in such a beautiful part of Japan. Unlikely many guests who stay for 1 or 2 nights as the ride through, we stayed for 8 nights with our 2 sons and it was just the reset we needed at the midpoint of a 3 month journey. Waking up to the view of the water each morning was incredible. The design of the spaces and buildings is well thought out and beautiful executed. The staff across all of the parts of the business (accommodation, restaurant, coffee, store) were all incredibly friendly and welcoming. You can tell that they are all passionate, and they often went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable. Although they are shared faciilities in the main accommodation building, the design is well considered and the staff kept them very clean and tidy. We enjoyed the opportunity for casual conversations with others as we bumped into them in the hall going to/from the bathroom. The location is also just perfect, and you can explore everywhere on foot, bike or ferry. I cannot recommend Soil Setoda highly enough. I can't wait to go back again one day.

Unfortunately the beds were uncomfortable.

When cycling I came across this hotel and made a spontaneous reservation for the next night. It was incredible to arrive after a day of cycling, leave my things in the beautiful and thoughtfully designed room, have a shower, go to the onsen next to it, and be on the rooftop just when the sun was going down; before ending the day with a special dinner in the same building. In the morning before taking the ferry back to the mainland I had a traditional Japanese breakfast with a nice coffee. The staff was incredibly warm and welcoming. I highly recommend stopping here when cycling and staying for a night or two!

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Honestly one of the nicest "hostels" I have ever stayed in...SOIL is barely a hostel though, it is more of a community that has some kick-ass accommodations available in tandem with its other arms: the coffee shop, the restaurant, the gift shop, etc. Staff are all so awesome! Just sitting at the bar watching the chefs do their thing in the kitchen is an enjoyable experience! I stayed here to break up the Shimanami Kaido trip, but came back for a second night just because it (and the staff) were so cool and chill! The associated? (Or connected) onsen / bath is also exquisite and worth the 8000 yen entry!

Nothing. That I had to leave 😅

Soil Setoda is lush. It is so well designed it could feature in an interior design magazine! It’s cool and stylish with attention to detail. It’s a special place that relaxes you with its wood and natural fibres. We loved it so much we stayed 3 nights. Don’t race through this island and the next like so many people. Spend some time relaxing, enjoying the sweet island aromas, swimming spots and cycling these 2 islands. You’ll leave the cycle race behind and slow down.

This place is great on the Shimanami Kaido, fan of architucture will love this place. Everything was beautiful to the details. Food there was beautiful too! 'Hipster' fancy and not cheap but worthe its while for sure! Single rooms have amazing views but the dormitory is as comfy and nice - the view on the tree is a nice gesture- Still need earplugs if you are sensitive to sounds. Staff where nice and helpful and down to a little chat which is always appreciated.

Cleanliness of shared facilties could be better. Dormytory is quite tight no much room, but the bed are decent size and fairly comfy.

Food and drinks (at Minatoya): breakfast, lunch, and dinner (course menu) were all just perfect. Furthermore, the accommodation has a great location directly by the sea, you can additionally book a ticket for the nearby public onsen (they tolerate tattoos) when you check in, all amenities (towels and skin care) are for free (except for toothpaste... but that was really the only thing that was missing for me), the staff is extremely kind and helpful (even if you don't speak Japanese or just a little bit), and you can even rent a (electrc) bike there. Soil Setoda combines all in one.

Nothing negative, I loved it, and I will definitely come back whenever I am looking for a peaceful retreat again. A hidden gem.