森の旅亭びえい — Hotel in Biei

It's not my first time staying at a high-end ryokan, so I had high expectations for this one. First, the positives: the hot springs and meals were nice. They were as nice as the price. Most of the service was good, but there were a few things that left me quite dissatisfied. During a trip, you expect everything to be enjoyable, so any unpleasant experiences stand out even more.

In our room’s private hot spring, there was an oil film and some floating debris that looked like algae. We thought it was leftover skin oil from the previous guests, which made us hesitant to use it. When I inquired at the front desk, I was told it was part of the hot spring's natural components. I asked further what those components were, and instead of apologizing for not explaining this earlier or offering any reassurance, the staff dryly said, "It's the hot spring's components." Understanding Japanese, I asked if it was "yunohana" (mineral deposits in hot springs), and they just repeated what I said without providing any further explanation. The issue is that I have used other indoor hot springs before, and I've never seen anything like this. The staff’s lack of professionalism was disappointing; even if they didn’t know the exact answer, they could have at least empathized with our concern.

During dinner, a table of Japanese guests next to us were giving gifts to the staff and chefs, one by one. I didn’t stare, so I’m not sure what they gave, but it made me uncomfortable while dining. It felt like something that should have been done privately, or not allowed at all, rather than being displayed in front of other guests. While it’s understandable for ryokan staff to receive gifts, it felt unprofessional to do so in a public dining area, making the atmosphere less enjoyable for other guests.

The most frustrating incident happened the next morning. While my family and I were chatting over breakfast, the same Japanese guests from the night before were seated next to us again. Shortly after, a staff member came over and told us to "please speak more quietly." At the time, I didn’t argue, as it’s easy to overlook how loud one’s voice might be, but after thinking it over, I realized something was wrong. We weren’t talking loudly, and there were no noisy children with us. It was just a normal conversation, and yet we were being told to lower our voices. What made it worse was that the two Japanese guests next to us were speaking at a similar volume, if not louder! Given the gift-giving situation the day before, I couldn't help but feel we were being treated unfairly, which left me feeling extremely displeased.

The same quality hot springs can be found elsewhere, and I initially considered trying out other rooms here, but I no longer have the desire to return for a second stay.

The ryokan itself is beautiful, but it’s a real shame that it left me with such a...

This is a review for Mori no Ryotei (I think the listing is rather inaccurate as the ryokan is listed here as "Biei" instead?). First impressions of this ryokan were good! My family appreciated the beautiful architecture and lovely female front room attendants who greeted us when we arrived. ||However, having stayed at 3 other ryokans during our Hokkaido trip ("unfortunately" in this instance, as that gave us more room for comparison), I felt that once the initial impressions wore off, the hotel seemed to lack "heart" or sincere hospitality. Just by way of example, I was rather taken aback when my request for a single additional pillow for my elderly father (with a bad neck/shoulder) was flatly rejected by the evening male front desk staff when I phoned in with my request. I initially thought it was a language barrier issue so I politely requested that he visit my room so I could show him what I wanted. However, when he came in (rather disgruntled) and I politely asked for an additional one (while gesturing smilingly to a pillow in my hands), he told me in no unclear terms (in good English) that each hotel guest was only entitled to one pillow, after which he excused himself with a "Good night". I was left flabbergasted. This is the first time that I have heard of such a hotel policy and for a ryokan which touts itself to be rather high end, I am truly shocked. ||Just by way of comparison, during our stay at the Niseko Kombu Onsen Tsuruga Besso Moku no Sho, my request was instantly met with a question of what type of pillow my dad required (6 choices were provided) and a prompt visit to my dad's room with the additional pillow. I believe any hotel should able to accede to this simple request (or am I perhaps expecting too much?). Having read another less favourable review on TripAdvisor of this ryokan's lack of flexibility, I was initially inclined to discount it but it seems like I have encountered another instance of this. I hope that it is just one of...

The hotel is situated near the famous waterfall and is a bit far from town, which could be the exact reason why you pick it because of lower density with others.

The google navigation is incorrect so don't trust it, it will tell you the turn earlier which leads to a dead end, the real entrance is a bit further.

It is a Japanese style hotel with wood as the main material in the structure, you don't wear shoes in the entire hotel and this is a plus to me personally as it's much more comfortable this way. It's especially beautiful at night with some lights and snow, it's a great place to relax.

The room is not huge but you can find everything you need, a small chill area with chairs and a small table, Tatami bed and private onsen. The furniture are all wooden made, I like all the simple designs yet functional with great details. The private outdoor onsen is a bit small though, but it's large enough to spread your legs straight even if you are 6' tall, sitting 2 people would be a bit crowded though.

There's a small fridge there and they offer some free drinks (black bean tea and calpis after your hot bath) and black bean jelly which is quite delicious.

I highly recommended the restaurant there as the food quality is very high and the waitress is very friendly. Their soups come with their special smoke and it smells so good that I had to praise it every time I taste it. The sashimi is very fresh and there's more than enough to fill up your belly. I would say the food is considered cheap given the quality.

The staff members are all very polite and helpful, if you drive there they will help swipe the snow for your car every day.

A very...