Hotel Hot Springs di Kagawa Prefecture, Japan

We stayed in a triple room this time, which had a balcony. They helped us set up the futons for dinner. The room was clean and tidy, and the sodas and snacks in the room were complimentary. Both dinner and breakfast were kaiseki multi-course meals. The ingredients were fresh and very satisfying. There were two free massage chairs on our floor, and a stargazing area on the rooftop. We could actually see stars at night, and it was incredibly quiet and comfortable. The hot springs offered both indoor and outdoor baths with a beautiful environment and full amenities, including free popsicles. In the lobby, there was a self-serve marshmallow roasting station with unlimited marshmallows. There was also a souvenir shop. A special reminder: the latest dinner time is 7:30 PM, so you must check in early. We drove there, and it was already dark. Be careful to turn at the intersection by the road, as there aren't many lights, and you might miss the entrance.

The room is spacious and comfortable, with wet and dry separation. It is rare that the hot spring hotel room is also equipped with a separate shower room. The hotel is relatively elegant overall, the hot springs are comfortable, and the banquet cuisine and buffet breakfast are also good.

The staff of Olivean Shodoshima Yuhigaoka Hotel are professional and considerable. Their service are excellent, especially 1) The shuttle bus driver (morning shift strong man, forgot asking his name). When we arrived at Shodoshima Ferry Pier at 11:00am on April 7, we found a hotel shuttle bus, but not sure if it's the one of our staying hotel. We asked the driver if it's the one that waiting to pick us up. He said yes, but the hotel check-in time should be 3:00pm in the afternoon. He suggested us to have the sightseeing first and helped register the afternoon time for picking us instead. Also, he suggested taking our hand carry bags to the hotel front desk to avoid we carrying too heavy bags while travelling. 2) The lady staff (sorry for forgetting her name) at the lobby hall, who was very proactive. She came over immediately to help taking photos for us when she found we're taking a selfie. She also served us with free drinks for enjoying the sunset at the hall. 3) The staff at the reception desk are very professional. They helped us for check-in, explained the details of the time for meals, and provided all the information required. 4) The foods for dinner & breakfast buffet are very nice and yummy. The restaurant is clean and tidy. Overall, Olivean Shodoshima Yuhigaoka Hotel is a very professional and comfortable accommodation for stay. We're pleased and feel glad choosing this hotel.

The location is not too bad, with 10 min walking distance, you can get to the shopping Main Street.  Yet too my surprises, not many stores opened after 7pm. The hotel is nice and clean, but relatively small, compare to other Dormy Inn I have stayed in before.   The front desk is a bit cold in term of attitude, not disrespectful or any, just quite passive at helping. 

Shuttle Service: When booking accommodations, there were only two ways to arrange a shuttle, and for some reason, my email only linked to a very old address I rarely use. My messages went unanswered. I also tried calling from other cities in Japan, but an automated Japanese voice service picked up. Thankfully, at JR Kotohira Station, there was an Information counter. A young, helpful service attendant who spoke simple English immediately called the hotel for me when she heard where I was staying. The car arrived in about 5 minutes. The shuttle driver, a slightly chubby young man with glasses, spoke excellent English. He was quite chatty and humorous, making the ride enjoyable. He also recommended a famous local udon restaurant and advised that climbing to the top of Konpira-san Shrine would take at least 2.5 hours (definitely allow more time if you want to look around carefully and take photos). Luggage Storage: We arrived at the hotel at 11 AM, dropped off our luggage, and headed straight for a meal before ascending Konpira-san. Upon returning to the hotel, our luggage had already been delivered directly to our room. Room: We booked a bit late, but for this price, in other major Japanese cities, you'd only get a quarter of the space. My friend commented that she could finally spread out her suitcase and organize her belongings. There was also a dressing room/vanity, though the lighting was a bit dim. In the evenings, we enjoyed tea on the balcony, which was a very pleasant spot to relax and enjoy the view. Our room offered a direct view of the hotel garden and pond, a wonderful experience. Restaurant: When booking, I chose the hotel's ”Sanuki Santoku” (Three Treasures of Sanuki) dining plan. The waiter escorted us to a table with a great view and explained each dish. The food was delicious, and I was absolutely stuffed (I have a small appetite). Most of the service staff appeared to be of Indian descent. Other Features: 1) I really loved the public lounge. In the evenings, the spacious design and soft lighting created a wonderful ambiance. It was very atmospheric to sit and slowly savor coffee/champagne (complimentary). 2) Our accommodation included one complimentary 45-minute private onsen session on the same floor as the lounge. It had a sofa and drinks, but only one shower stall, so if there were multiple people, we'd have to take turns. For me, the time was too short, and the water temperature wasn't as high as in the public bath. 3) The public bath had two pools. A smaller one outdoors, where the water was quite hot, and a sauna room, which was also very hot! I personally preferred the public bath.

A wonderfully located hotel right in front of the Takamatsu Station. It is also relatively new hotel. So amenities and room are very client centric! Onsen is rather small but clean. Breakfast is at a Izakaya on the ground level. It is a set meal. One can choose from 3 options. We had the same food for two days. The hotel is literally across the Takamatsu Castle.

The hotel’s service was exceptional, with staff going above and beyond to make our stay memorable. The scenery was breathtaking, offering stunning views that made every moment special. Breakfast and dinner were outstanding, featuring delicious dishes that showcased local flavors. To top it off, they surprised us by preparing a famous local cake to celebrate my wife’s birthday, which was a delightful and thoughtful touch. Everything was perfectly arranged, and their attention to detail truly impressed us. This hotel exceeded our expectations, and we’d highly recommend it to anyone looking for a remarkable experience.

I was surprised by how small the room was for a hot spring ryokan. With two suitcases, there was barely any room to walk. There was no Wi-Fi signal in the room, and the explanation given was that too many guests were using it simultaneously that night. Wi-Fi was only available in the hallway and lobby. Although the staff tried hard to resolve the issue, there was no solution, so we had to use our own mobile data (as an apology, they gave us a small souvenir when we checked out). Additionally, the 'one night, two meals' package... At over ¥2200, it was ¥1200 more expensive than just the room, but both dinner and breakfast were very mediocre. Compared to a hot spring ryokan I stayed at previously on Shodoshima (which wasn't great either, but at least the food was refined), the meals here were far inferior. There were only three small slices of sashimi, and there were even fish scales on the fish. For ¥1200, two people could have had many better dining options outside. The hot spring was decent, but nothing particularly impressive.

Since I was traveling to Takamatsu in January and April, I did a lot of comparisons and finally chose the Sanuki Shionoe Onsen Hotel. The ryokan is a bit out of the way, but it's easy to find if you're driving and have a GPS. The hotel is a relatively large, standalone building in the area, and while its exterior isn't particularly special, it has the Japanese-style onsen ryokan aesthetic that many travelers prefer. Many local Japanese tourists visit here. The guest rooms are very spacious and clean, and fully equipped. We booked two rooms, including breakfast and dinner. The price was a bit high, but dinner turned out to be a Japanese-style buffet. Although the variety wasn't as extensive as in larger, formal hotels, all the traditional Japanese dishes were available, and to our surprise, they even had teppanyaki wagyu beef! The food tasted great, and we were very satisfied. There aren't many hot springs, just one indoor and one outdoor, but the onsen water is incredibly smooth – it's the best I've soaked in recently. So I specifically recommend this hotel to friends planning to visit the area. The overall service at the hotel was also excellent!

Friends, go for it with confidence! The cost-effectiveness is really high, and the transportation is very convenient, everyone can come and experience it! The service attitude of the staff is very good, polite and courteous, there is nothing wrong with it, just come and give it five stars, the experience is first-class, in short, I highly recommend everyone to check in, the cost performance is very high, the transportation is also convenient, it completely stimulates my desire to go out ( ´͈ ᵕ `͈ )◞♡