Seryo is an excellent ryokan that exceeded our expectations. It's situated in Ohara town, located about an hour north of Kyoto, which is an agricultural area known for its fine Kyoto vegetables, its rural beauty, as well as the renowned Sanzen-in and Jakko-in temples (as well as the picturesque Kurama & Kibune towns nearby.) We stayed 2 nights at Seryo.... our main purpose for being in the area was to do the hike from Kurama to Kibune (highly recommended!) While Seryo is not a stone's throw from Kurama or Kibune, it's not far, either - about 15 minutes by car. And, it's right next to Sanzen-in, and overlooks a beautiful valley and the mountains beyond, so the location is actually a plus in many respects. While it's a small, family-run establishment, it also charges luxury ryokan prices. In just about all respects, it delivers a level of comfort, luxury and service that matches the price. First, the room - we stayed at the best room at Seryo, the ”Sakura no Ma Japanese Suite with open-air bath.” I believe it to be the only room on premises that has its own private onsen hot springs bath, and it's pure bliss. if it's available, I'd recommend that you snag it quickly. The room itself was reasonably spacious (although not gargantuan by other luxury ryokan standards, and we would've gladly paid more if they offered an even higher category room), well appointed and came with all of the necessities - toiletries, yukata, free WiFi and even free minibar. It was a nice room to spend our down time in Ohara. And when we felt like taking a walk, not only was there Sanzen-in next door, but also Jikko-in, Hosen-in and and Shorin-in just a few minutes walking distance away - all worth visiting, and all with its own unique charm. The food was good. Not super gourmet like some of the top ryokans in Hakone or Kaga Onsen town, but they did a good job focusing their offerings relying on local ingredients - Ohara is renowned for its amazing produce, and many of Kyoto's finer restaurants (including Michelin 3-star Kitcho) procure many of their vegetables from Ohara. Of particular note was the local Jidori chicken - it was amazing. It was steamed (which is unusual, and doesn't strike me as the best way to cook chicken), but was done amazingly well. It was definitely a memorable dish. Breakfast, on the other hand, was a comparatively spartan affair - not much variety, and quantities were low. If you're hungry, be prepared to scarf down a healthy portion of rice. Service is typical ryokan-like. Courteous, helpful, and a bit inflexible in some areas, namely in terms of meal times. At Seryo, it's strictly 6PM for dinner and 8AM for breakfast. That said, they did make an exception, which gives us hope for Japan :) When we told them we might leave early and skip breakfast (to get a head start on our hike the next day), they said ”how about 7:30 then?” For a small ryokan with rigid schedules (for understandable reasons, mind you), it was a surprisingly graciou
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