What a truly fantastic hotel that far exceeded our expectations. There are so many aspects to appreciate about this property. The hotel is directly serviced by the Meitetsu train from Centrair Airport to Inuyamayuen, although depending on the time of day, you may need to transfer at Nagoya. The property itself is pristine, with high-quality finishes that beautifully preserve traditional Japanese elements—from the rich wood used throughout the interior to the immaculate grounds surrounding the hotel. There’s also an on-site onsen (open from 6:00 AM to 11:59 PM), with a crowd meter available on your in-room TV. This simple yet thoughtful feature is a great use of basic technology in adding to the guest experience.

We dined at the hotel’s restaurant, bar, and through in-room dining over the course of our four-night stay, and every meal was a positive experience. One thing we really appreciated was that the late-night menu could be enjoyed in-room without additional charges. We particularly loved the oyakodon and chazuke set options. Breakfast is served as a semi-buffet, with either a Western or Japanese set option. On our last morning (Dec 2), the host even took the time to thank us for being Diamond members and for our continued loyalty to IHG. This is the first time we’ve ever received such a personal greeting at breakfast across all of our IHG stays, and it speaks volumes about the level of customer service and attention to detail at this property.

That said, we do agree with other reviewers that there could be some downward adjustments to the pricing of the food and beverage offerings. While the quality is excellent, there is some disparity in the quantity of the offering. On the other hand, the room rates were very competitive, especially during the weekdays, and the hotel was sold out during our last two nights.

The hotel is lucky to be situated next to two national treasures: the Urakuen Garden, which offers complimentary access for hotel guests, and Inuyama Castle, located at the back of the property. While the garden is essentially on property, the castle, station, shopping street, and other attractions are a bit farther away. Additionally, there isn’t even a convenience store nearby, so a shuttle between the hotel, train station, and Inuyama Castle would be a great investment to attract more guests.

The only negative experience we had was when I arrived after my wife during the second day of our reservation, and the hotel revoked my wife’s breakfast benefit for her first day. While this decision wasn’t enough to overshadow the otherwise excellent experience—it did indicate a clear area for improvement in guest experience and deducts a star from an otherwise 5 star review.

Overall, this hotel is one of the strongest in IHG’s portfolio and is easily on par with Michelin-keyed hotels in Japan. We wouldn’t be surprised at all if it receives similar recognition in the near future.