Tawaraya Ryokan

Tawaraya is a legendary ryokan in Kyoto. It is also very, very expensive. For that kind of money, what you expect is top flight quality. Granted the atmosphere is original, but it is original in a 1960's way. There is charm, but charm of a faded beauty resting on her laurels. The keiseki dinner served in the room ought to have been a memorable three star experience. It wasn't one star. That said, the Japanese breakfast was terrific, but overall: this legend is not worth the price by half.

Since we were only able to get one night at our preferred choice, Shiraume Ryokan (which is perfection in every conceivable way, but that's another review), I guess our travel agent wanted to do us a favor and booked us for two nights in this supposedly "best Japanese ryokan". I could have cried with frustratiion, it was such a let-down! Granted, the staff were excellent and hospitality and service were above reproach, but the inn itself was tired-looking and run-down, without any kind of charm or atmosphere. The room was small by ryokan standards, very drab with none of the usual charming decorative touches you find in other ryokans. It even lacked the traditional recess with scroll and flowers found everywhere else. The bathroom and the coffin-like "onsen" were also very small compared to others, and the amenities were of the small sample kind found in business hotels. The exorbitant price did not even include dinner, which could be had after coughing up another 300 dollars per person. Travelers who waxed euphoric about this place have clearly not stayed in other traditional ryokans. This place is resting on the laurels it might once have had, and it's time to put the word out that it in no way deserves its reputation. It's a rip-off, plain and simple!!!

We (two Germans) booked one night with Tawaraya Ryokan already a few months ago and were looking forward to staying with them for a genuine Japanese experience - we have planned my boyfriend's birthday around it. The booking procedure is already kind of complicated - no eMail, no Website, but we managed to reserve via phone call and fax. We knew that they had a rather complicated booking system given their reputation as apparently THE best Ryokan in Kyoto and their celebrity status and so it was okay for us. We were scheduled to stay with them from March 27 to March 28. Starting three to four days before the intended stay, they called us almost every day to reconfirm that we still would come despite the Covid-19 situation. We reconfirmed our arrival with them twice and although we found it a bit odd that they called so frequently, it is understandable that businesses are afraid these days to miss out on bookings... we all know that the economic situation these days is pretty distressing. Plot twist: On March 26 (only one day after they have called us to reconfirm our arrival for the second time), a male manager of Tawaraya called us for the third time but this time to let us know that they have cancelled our booking. Weirdly enough, this was the day when Shinzo Abe had announced the cancellation of the Olympics and a travel ban on EU member states had been imposed. One day earlier, everything with them had seemed fine, but their mood shift came quickly and unexpected - most likely because of misdirected action-taking as a result of Abe's crisis management strategy. According to the manager, the cancellation was due to the fact of us being German. He told us that he was afraid of us bringing Covid-19 into a Japanese inn (since contact between staff members and guests is closer than in a Western-style hotel - which is true) and the owner's mom is in her mid-90s and he was frightened of her getting sick. At first this might seem understandable, but there is a huge BUT: I have lived in Japan since mid-January and haven't left the country since then. My boyfriend has already been to Japan for more than 14 days prior to our intended stay at Tawaraya. We could have easily proven that we have in Japan for a while by showing our passport entry stamps. If we had contracted Covid-19, it would have happened in Japan and by no means in Germany. We described our situation of having been in Japan for a long time and that both of us were well beyond quarantine period to the respective manager, but he didn't even listen. His decision was already final - that became visible as he already had a "solution" prepared for us. He said that we could have contracted Covid-19 by walking around in public in Japan anyways, and that is why he cannot accommodate us. So we asked him whether they would temporarily shut down Tawaraya in general to protect their staff and their families (which would have been noble) or whether it was just because of our nationality, and th

I stayed in the Luxury Suite “Taka” on December 5th, which is their largest room. The good thing was the staff. They're exactly what you'd expect from a traditional Japanese ryokan. The building itself is charming, with doors and furniture that reflect its history elegantly, along with well-kept Japanese gardens. However, at ¥343,000 per night for two guests, I expected something exceptional. However, the room was extremely basic and the interior felt less sophisticated than other ryokans in Kyoto. The reservation agent attributed the high rate to peak season, although the single dried maple branch in the garden clearly tell it's past season. The meals were also below expectations. The kaiseki dinner was barely fine, but the Western breakfast was disappointing. A scrambled egg, a single stale croissant, and few pieces of fruit. Overall, it feels as though the ryokan is relying solely on the shadow of its history, as the experience does not march the cost.

My daughter and I stayed (1) night at this highly revered ryokan, and enjoyed every minute of our magical stay. This is a wonderfully traditional and historical ryokan, exactly what we were hoping for. We stayed in "Shorai" on the ground floor, a simple room with a peaceful garden view. We especially appreciated the horigotatsu (hole in the floor below the table), which made sitting at the dining table immensely more comfortable. I don't believe all the rooms have this. The meals were exquisite, very top quality food and presentation. We enjoyed a large kaiseki dinner that was traditional and delicious. For breakfast. I chose the Japanese breakfast, which was massive... and my daughter chose the Western breakfast, which she was very happy with. Our room attendant Sayo even brought a toaster to ensure the toast was fresh and perfectly toasted. The turndown service was impressive... Sayo transformed our room into a cozy cocoon perfect for sleeping. She drew the curtains and put up a screen, then set out our bedding. Sayo spoke some English, but English was not fluently spoken by the majority of the staff. However, it was not difficult to communicate with them, and they went out of their way to answer questions and assist. This ryokan may seem fairly pricey, but is actually reasonable, considering the quality of the facility, service and food. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

My husband and I spent one night at what is widely considered Japan’s finest ryokan and we were not disappointed. I have NEVER experienced hospitality at this level. From the moment you arrive, they are waiting for you out front. They know you are coming. There is no check-in process, no waiting. Just being escorted to your room where somehow your luggage already made it there. A wooden tub with perfectly heated water awaits, after which you don your yakuta and relax with your zen garden view before the most amazing dinner of your life is served in 8 courses over a relaxing 2 hours. There is nowhere to be, and nowhere else you will want to be. It’s like a step back in time. After dinner, your futons are made up for you, you choose whether you’ll have a Japanese or Western-style breakfast in the morning, and select the time it is served. At check-out, the staff make sure you are safely in your taxi (the older woman who took care of us even put her arm around me, held my hand, and escorted me safely across the street to our Uber.) I had to use google translate to tell her that she took better care of us than even our own mothers, which made her laugh. This place is difficult to book, and if you speak no Japanese it can be a bit challenging to communicate, but everyone at Tawaraya does their utmost to make you feel like an honored guest. It’s unparalleled. Well worth the cost.