For a hotel that’s considered one of the best in Jozankei, the property itself was beautiful, but the service was much less consistent than I expected.
The biggest problem was the shuttle bus booking. Before we arrived, we were told by email that the bus was full and only one seat was available.
At check-in, however, the staff told us that two seats were available and confirmed our reservation.
Later that evening, another staff member said she couldn’t find the booking and promised to get back to us during dinner, but NO ONE DID!
Before going to bed, we checked with the front desk for the fourth time. This time, we happened to speak with the same staff member who had checked us in, and she told us that the shuttle had in fact been successfully reserved.
At that point, we honestly had no idea whether the shuttle was actually booked or not, so I ended up buying public bus tickets just in case.
Anyway, the next morning, we got on the shuttle without any problem, and there were about 12 empty seats! I still don’t understand why we were given so much conflicting information. The whole process felt very disorganized.🤦
Few other things that were disappointing: website says check-in starts at 3:00 PM, but several staff members kept telling us “check-in at 2:00 PM,” so we assumed early check-in was available. In reality, they only 【started the check-in procedures at 2:00 PM, and all of guests then had to wait in the lobby for another hour】 . we could easily have used that hour to explore the area instead if it’s explained clearly in the beginning.
We also asked if the futon bedding could be prepared on the tatami area, but the staff refused simply because the room already had two beds. In my experience, this is a very standard service at a Japanese ryokan, maybe they don’t have enough staff to provide the level of service one would expect from a five-star property?
Do have positive side, really love the afternoon tea area on the second floor. The cakes and coffee were all enjoyable. The room was spacious and beautifully designed, and the scen. Also like to thank the elderly lady working at the women’s bath on the second floor, who noticed that I had forgotten my towel and kindly brought me a fresh one—very warm and thoughtful.
Breakfast was less impressive. Most of the buffet consisted of salads, pickles&vege dishes, with only a small amount of sashimi and some salty grilled fish. We actually preferred the bread and coffee in the afternoon tea area.
