Kanamean Nishitomiya Ryokan

We had a wonderful experience at Kanamean Nishitomiya. I really can't say enough about this place. The staff are very friendly and the service is excellent; the hotel is unique and warm; the room was beautiful and a really unique stay coming from the US; beds were very comfortable even having never slept on a futon before. We absolutely loved the cedar bath--it was huge and could fit both of us easily--we used it every night. Breakfasts were delicious and something we looked forward to. We had dinner at the restaurant and had a great experience. They seated us in a private room all to ourselves. This was probably one of the best meals we've ever had--each dish was very tasty and unlike many tasting menus we've experienced, we didn't leave uncomfortably full. It was really well-balanced for us. Overall the stay was refreshing; we would love to and plan to go back.

An extraordinary and memorable experience! We had the Kashiwagi room, which was basically a one-bedroom apartment. It had a spacious and elegant sitting room (with a tokonoma alcove!) that was converted into a bedroom at night, a small office with a desk, a sitting room with an armchair, a small toilet room, and a large bathroom—literally just for bathing—with a huge onsen tub made of hinoki wood. This tub was filled with hot water when we arrived, and the staff explained that the hinoki had insulating properties that would keep it warm for a long time. An added bonus was that the wonderful fragrance of the wood permeated the area like incense! Just make sure not to use any soap in the onsen, we were told, because it could damage the wood—there was a separate shower area next to the tub for washing off, and the onsen was just for soaking. There were also lovely yet private views of little courtyard gardens from several of the different rooms. I loved that the TV was hidden away in a cabinet, totally unintrusive, yet available if, for some reason, you really need to watch TV in a space like this. I see some previous reviewers complain about "camping on the floor." In keeping with the old-fashioned Japanese aesthetic of the place, the sleeping arrangements consist of futons on the floor, and there is also a low sitting table with a choice of a low chair or a floor-height chair. If you have mobility issues or don't feel comfortable with Japanese-style furniture, maybe choose a more Western-style hotel! But if you want to experience a more traditional Japanese-style living and sleeping space, pretend you're in an Ozu movie and enjoy it. ;) We also had a wonderful kaiseki meal in a private dining room. The owner appears to be quite a wine connoisseur, and had an amazing cellar, which contributed to fabulous pairings! Lots of books on art, architecture, and haute cuisine, both in the room and the public areas, contributed to the overall ambiance of sophistication and elegants.

The property was beautiful and immaculate, the service was perfect, and the owner was a fabulous, generous and warm host whom we enjoyed meeting, very much. His selection of incredible fashion and art books in the rooms was an added bonus. And the Kaiseki tasting menu experience was superb. Highly recommended!

This was one of the dissapointing experiences we have ever had. The basic charge for one night us around £500 and for that princely sum you get to camp on the floor! The reception have a very poor grasp of any other language but japonese and the place was very much ‘fawlty towers’. We had booked for 4 nights but thankfully only stayed for one under the guise of construction work going on next door which frankly was an easier get out clause. We then booked a lovely room in the Hotel Resol for the other 3 nights. How anyone can say this is Relais Chataeux standard is baffling to us and we hope no one else is foolish enough to waste their money.

The rating represents an average of the guest room (5 stars) and customer service (0 stars) experiences. Everything in life is relative, right? So keep in mind that we spent $700/night. The extremely expensive traditional Japanese guest rooms are exquisite, but 1) service in the exclusive restaurants is prioritized over service to hotel guests, meaning that there is literally no guest assistance during dinner hours; 2) and when guest service is available, it is provided in very poor, broken English, which results in misunderstandings and frustration. We actually felt as though we had to avoid the personnel and struggle to find our own solutions, such was the frustration and concern about feeling too pushy or intrusive. Although it was by no means easy, it was easier to google our way out of problems or ask people on the street. There were several times when we had to enter the kitchen to find anyone available to help and others when we dialed 8 on the telephone and let it ring interminably. It worked once. No one is around early in the morning. The owner acts like he’s on speed, making bizarre 2 second appearances and, in the following example, can make really bad choices. We originally booked a room for 5 nights during Sakura season along with our friends. Our friends canceled their reservation, so the owner assumed that it was OK to cancel ours as well. When we told him that we did not cancel, he scolded us, saying it was Sakura season and that he was very busy and that I must reconfirm my reservation with a credit card (by email!). This also coincided with a tourist rush to Japan that occurred just after Japan was reopened for general tourism. This all transpired around Christmas, so since I was not as vigilant with my emails and was hesitant to send credit card information by unencrypted email, we lost our reservation again! When the dust settled, he could not accommodate us for as long as we originally intended to stay. We are now in Tokyo at the Okura hotel..and NOW I know what superlative Japanese-style customer service is all about.

Traveled with 3 other friends, one vegan. Wanted a some what traditional ryokan with modern comforts. This was the only Vegan friendly Ryokan we could find and it exceeded our expectations. The staff was attentive, the rooms were comfortable, the in room bath was incredible and the food was the best part our our two week japan trip. Cant recommend this place enough.