Yamatoya Honten — Hotel in Matsuyama

Yamatoya Honten is mid-way between a Ryokan and a hotel. We arrived rather late and about 8pm, and the manager was waiting for us in the driveway. He could see that were a bit flustered and also exhausted. His welcome and attention immediately relieved all our anxiety. ||Each day when we returned to our room in the late afternoon, we were served tea, and a sweet snack. It was so relaxing. The is a great natural onsen in the basement. There were three of us (adults) in a tatami mat room. There was plenty of space, and the mattresses and were comfortable. There was a kettle so we could make tea or coffee, and there was limited minibar. || We had dinner and breakfast included with accommodation. The Dinners were deliciously exquisite multicourse Japanese menus. It varied each night. There is a short theatrical performance at 6.30pm each evening on a traditional stage, which can be seen well, from the restaurant. ||For breakfast there was a choice of Western or Japanese menus, One morning I tried the Western breakfast to see what it was like. It came with salad, yoghurt, fruit, sausage, bacon and egg, coffee, croissant and a pastry, and a dessert pudding. It was very good, but it was not comparable to the multiple small plates that comprised the Japanese breakfast. ||The hotel provides a a yukata which can be worn in the hotel, and to the nearby famous Dogo Onsen, and shopping arcade. We tried the Dogo onsen but for guests of Yamatoya Honten, I think its better to have a photo outside Dogo Onsen, then use the onsen at the hotel- much more relaxing. ||Some of the staff speak and understand English well. We were able to go over our sightseeing plans each day with the hotel staff and this was very helpful They also assisted to explain our daughter's food allergies and called ahead to our next hotel to explain these in advance.||Our bathroom was very clean, but we mainly used the onsen bath house. There was a small wooden drying rack in the bathroom, sufficient to dry socks and...

Yamatoya Honten is mid-way between a Ryokan and a hotel. We arrived rather late and about 8pm, and the manager was waiting for us in the driveway. He could see that were a bit flustered and also exhausted. His welcome and attention immediately relieved all our anxiety. ||Each day when we returned to our room in the late afternoon, we were served tea, and a sweet snack. It was so relaxing. The is a great natural onsen in the basement. There were three of us (adults) in a tatami mat room. There was plenty of space, and the mattresses and were comfortable. There was a kettle so we could make tea or coffee, and there was limited minibar. || We had dinner and breakfast included with accommodation. The Dinners were deliciously exquisite multicourse Japanese menus. It varied each night. There is a short theatrical performance at 6.30pm each evening on a traditional stage, which can be seen well, from the restaurant. ||For breakfast there was a choice of Western or Japanese menus, One morning I tried the Western breakfast to see what it was like. It came with salad, yoghurt, fruit, sausage, bacon and egg, coffee, croissant and a pastry, and a dessert pudding. It was very good, but it was not comparable to the multiple small plates that comprised the Japanese breakfast. ||The hotel provides a a yukata which can be worn in the hotel, and to the nearby famous Dogo Onsen, and shopping arcade. We tried the Dogo onsen but for guests of Yamatoya Honten, I think its better to have a photo outside Dogo Onsen, then use the onsen at the hotel- much more relaxing. ||Some of the staff speak and understand English well. We were able to go over our sightseeing plans each day with the hotel staff and this was very helpful They also assisted to explain our daughter's food allergies and called ahead to our next hotel to explain these in advance.||Our bathroom was very clean, but we mainly used the onsen bath house. There was a small wooden drying rack in the bathroom, sufficient to dry socks and...

We were booked into Dogo Onsen Yamatoya Honten as part of our tour with Gem Japan Tours (an outstanding tour company that I very highly recommend). We were excited at the prospect of staying in a ryokan, and we were not disappointed. ||||We were greeted outside the entrance by staff members in the driveway. The entrance is designed to provide a physical transition from the outside world into one of quiet and calm. You pass over a tiny little stream between the entrance and the lobby. There are a lot of inviting armchairs in the beautifully understated lobby. ||||Our group of 5 was assigned 3 rooms -- Japanese style with tatami mats and futons for the 2 couples and a Western style room for the single. All the rooms were very clean, quiet, and comfortable. Yukata, tabi socks, and slippers were provided for each guest. ||||We all enjoyed soaking in the onsen baths. The hotel was not crowded at the time we visited, which made visiting the onsen very nice. We ended up not visiting Dogo Onsen because we were so content with the onsen in the ryokan. ||||Kaiseki dinners were served in private dining rooms, and we really enjoyed the entire experience. We were given a choice between Western and Japanese breakfasts, and we all chose the Japanese breakfast, which was served in a public dining room. All the meals were delicious and satisfying. After breakfast, we visited the coffee shop in the lobby for a delicious cup of coffee before heading out to start a full day of sightseeing. ||||The location made it very convenient for going out for shopping and sightseeing. There is a lovely gift shop next to the lobby, and I bought some nice tabi house slippers there. Everyone on the staff was friendly, welcoming, and helpful. ||||If I ever get the chance to visit Matsuyama again, I would love to stay at Dogo Onsen Yamatoya Honten again. We had a very...