Kaihinso Kamakura — Hotel in Kamakura

This ryokan fits very well in its pleasant Kamakura neighborhood. It is well cared for and its attractive appearance on the outside extends into its reception area. The beach, shopping, sites, and local rail station are all within easy walks.||||Traditional Japanese breakfast at 8am served at table and chairs in a tatami mat room was very good, though I could have perhaps eaten a little bit more.||||The public onsen bath was about a 4-seater in the wash area but I never had any company. It certainly was a nice way to bookend a day, and was bit more roomy than the bathroom in our guest room.||||Staff were all courteous, friendly, and professional.||||We stayed in the older section of the Inn in one of the western style rooms. As we get older we spend less time on futons and more on beds. The room has everything you need: a sitting area with TV, a dining area with table, chairs, and refrigerator; a bed chamber with 2 beds; and a bathroom with sink/mirror, toilet, and little Japanese style separate bath tub and washing area/shower. Pretty good room, though a little cramped here and there. The problem was that it felt like you were staying at Grandma's house. Being almost 95 years old and located near the sea, there was an inevitable musty smell. Some of the wall paper seams had begun to split. The furniture was from an era, well, some folk might find it charming, but it did not quite work well enough for us to want to make a return visit,. We asked to take a peek at one of the newer Japanese rooms but none were available, they might be a better bet. Good neighborhood, good location, good staff, good food, and decent public bath, but the guest rooms would probably cause us to look for alternatives...

This ryokan fits very well in its pleasant Kamakura neighborhood. It is well cared for and its attractive appearance on the outside extends into its reception area. The beach, shopping, sites, and local rail station are all within easy walks.||||Traditional Japanese breakfast at 8am served at table and chairs in a tatami mat room was very good, though I could have perhaps eaten a little bit more.||||The public onsen bath was about a 4-seater in the wash area but I never had any company. It certainly was a nice way to bookend a day, and was bit more roomy than the bathroom in our guest room.||||Staff were all courteous, friendly, and professional.||||We stayed in the older section of the Inn in one of the western style rooms. As we get older we spend less time on futons and more on beds. The room has everything you need: a sitting area with TV, a dining area with table, chairs, and refrigerator; a bed chamber with 2 beds; and a bathroom with sink/mirror, toilet, and little Japanese style separate bath tub and washing area/shower. Pretty good room, though a little cramped here and there. The problem was that it felt like you were staying at Grandma's house. Being almost 95 years old and located near the sea, there was an inevitable musty smell. Some of the wall paper seams had begun to split. The furniture was from an era, well, some folk might find it charming, but it did not quite work well enough for us to want to make a return visit,. We asked to take a peek at one of the newer Japanese rooms but none were available, they might be a better bet. Good neighborhood, good location, good staff, good food, and decent public bath, but the guest rooms would probably cause us to look for alternatives...

We spent one night here in February, while on a two-week visit to Tokyo. I've stayed in many ryokan over the years, and this one was a solid choice. ||||The location was great - just steps from a stop on the Eno-den triangle from Kamakura, quite close to the beach and many local sites, and in quite a nice, posh neighbourhood. We ate dinner at Matsubara-an, which turned out to be next door. ||||The staff were pleasant and helpful - about what you'd expect anywhere in Japan. Not sure if they speak any English. ||||Our room was quite nice. Very big, with a gorgeous view from its sunroom/sitting area. And it's own bath. (We didn't use it, preferring the shared baths, which were bigger.) I saw some complaints about the datedness of the furniture, the pillows, heater, etc, in another recent review. Not sure what that person was expecting. Clearly a first-time visitor to Japan. Our room was on par with most of the better Japanese-style inns I've visited before. Dated? Sure. Charming? Definitely! ||||The baths, as I mentioned, were decent. Nothing special. Separate men's and ladies', and no chance of a couple being able to use one together. No outdoor baths. ||||We didn't eat dinner there, but the breakfast was quite good. A traditional Japanese style. I doubt they have the option of a western breakfast. ||||Overall, we definitely enjoyed our stay. But were a bit surprised at checkout. (My wife had booked the room.) While the inn ranked up there with other nice inns, it was also amongst the most expensive we've stayed in. We weren't disappointed, but might not have made the same choice, if we'd been paying more...