Ryokan Marumo

Other travellers gave Marumo good reviews, noting that the onsen was the only downside. Well : they fixed it and how ! A complete new building arose, a wooden structure of course and I choose to go to our room walking its corridor because of the wonderful smell !! Oh so lovely. Yes the onsen water is warm, I visited onsens that are even hotter though, so I was happy (went both mornings and evenings). The food is excellent. The staff by now is used to communicating with foreigners with the help of a tiny translation machine. And please notice that Tottori has more to offer than the sand dunes : a large park offers hikes, there is the wonderful garden of Kannon-in Temple, perfect for appreciating matcha tea, finding the right spot to get off the bus for the sea trip along the Uradome Coast was not that easy, but again : worthwhile. Marumo itself was easy to find : walking distance from the station indeed.

Discovered this place by accident on a hotel booking site. This place is mainly for the locals as English is not used here. Fortunately, a staff member could speak a little English to help with our check-in. Goggle translate really helped in our communication. The place is not too far from Tottori Station. We had to retrack as we had walked past it without noticing it - the sign on the building was in Japanese. The place is a traditional Japanese Inn in every sense. The best part is the use of the private onsen bath for the guest. Available for use anytime between 4pm to 8.30am, one just needs to check if it is available, turn the sign to indicate that it is being occupied and then use it in full privacy. Great for couples, families or anyone who is shy to bathe in the public onsen. We chose to have the breakfast , in the dining area, on the second morning. What a colour feast for the eyes. Just need to let the staff know early if you want to have their breakfast during the stay. Definitely worth the price paid for the 2 nights stay here.