Yumesenkei Besso Amahara — Hotel in Sumoto

We stayed at 12 properties at Yumesenkei Besso Amanohara, an 18-room luxury annex to Awaji Yumesenkei. We originally wanted to stay at Hotel New Awaji's Villa Rakuen, which is the highest end of the collection of properties owned and managed by the Hotel New Awaji Group, but they were booked full. While I'm pretty sure the hard product at Hotel New Awaji is superior, it would be hard to top the top-notch service we experienced at Yumesenkei Besso Amanohara - the warm and eager staff left a lasting impression on us and is the primary reason for the 5-star rating that I've given this property.||We went with 3 groups of relatives, and gave the top room to a family of four. It was the Maisonette Villa Umisaki, a 2-storey, 92.5㎡ accommodation with an open-air onsen (hot springs) bath on the balcony and direct access to the ocean. The other two groups (including us) stayed at the 65m² Suite with open-air bath. The units were "fine" - quite rustic, the furnishings were decent but not particularly high quality and while the rooms are not worn out, they could stand to benefit from a refurbishment in the not-too-distant future.||What was nice about both room categories was the existence of an open-air onsen bath with a view of the ocean, with the Maisonette Villa Umisaki offering a commanding, unobstructed view of the ocean. Umisaki - a stand-alone villa - also had stairs going down from the balcony that allowed direct access to the ocean. The Suites were decent, too, but I wish both Umisaki and the Suites had desks in the room for working.||The meals at the ryokan were equally satisfying. While it didn't measure up to the standards set by the very top luxury ryokans in Japan, the creative fusion cuisine served during dinner was of sufficiently high quality for our palates. It was a bit of an eclectic mix, from Onion cream soup to grilled Mackerel to a standard salad. Everything was good to great. What made our meals extraordinary was the presence of warm enthusiastic Hinata Makino - she was a sweetheart and diligently took care of the needs of the young children as well as the elderly in our group. She was also at the restaurant when we stopped by for the buffet breakfast - as we helped ourselves to the variety of dishes at each station, she dutifully grabbed our tray and brought it to our table. Her smile was unforgettable - you know some of the Disneyland employees that somehow manage to have a big, authentic smile that shows their happiness and is not fake? That's the type of look she had the entire time. She genuinely sought to provide us with an unforgettable experience, and she definitely delivered.||In fact, the entire hotel staff seemed to have the "omotenashi" spirit - Saki Yamamoto was also a superstar; she patiently and elegantly went over all of the room details and was always on the lookout to see if there was anything we needed. And as soon as we arrived, she quickly came over to offer a hand (and shoulder) to our grandmother, who has bad knees and hips.||We naturally hope for a luxury "trifecta" when staying at a top ryokan - hard product, food and service - but as long as the service is adequate we usually have no complaints. At Amanohara, however, the hospitality was so wonderful that we overlooked some of the minor shortcomings in other aspects of the property.||This is not a destination hotel, but if you plan on being in Awaji-shima anyways, this is an...

Impeccable service with stunning views and delicious food to match. Their Awaji beef is amazing-- my other half still raves about it months later. ||||There's only 18 rooms total at Amahara, but it's connected to their other hotels on each side. So you get the privacy and attentive service of a boutique hotel, yet when you want the amenities of the larger resort (multiple public onsens, gift shops, spas, etc.), it's just a short indoor walk away. ||||Aside from their stunning views, we will always remember their helpful staff (Miss. Kaori Inaba in particular was extremely enthusiastic and kind) which made our stay so memorable. She really went out of her way to provide great service-- checked us in, provided comprehensive room tour, served us dinner and made sure every small question was answered with the utmost details (with maps and everything). ||||Although the Ryokan's official website is mainly in Japanese, you can write to them in English (keep in mind not all of of the staff are fluent). Though I've received fast same-day replies from their friendly staff by e-mail (their attention to details is very evident; even asking for your clothing size so they can prepare Yukatas prior to your arrival).||||I would say, getting here was a learning experience (especially if Japanese is not your first language), but well worth it as it’s a great place to relax. It’s 2-2 & 1/2 hrs by Limo bus to/from KIX Airport, or 1 & 1/2 hrs from Sannomiya by Highway Express Bus (1,850 Y each-way; fastest route). ||||[Overview]||||- Incredible Staff.||- Awaji Beef!! It's where Kobe Beef first originated. ||- Large and spacious rooms with massive amounts of electric outlets. I counted at least 13+ in our room (mid-range room).||- All rooms have private outdoor open-air bath with a view. ||- Free in-room use of Nespresso machine.||- Tons of toiletries (cleansing oil, toner, mask, aromatherapy oil, etc.) provided along with in-room safe. ||- Free drinks at the lounge (coffee, juice, and bottled water all day; free alcohol and snacks after 8 pm). ||- Room rate includes half board (multi-course dinner + buffet breakfast).||- Free pick-up/ drop-off shuttle to Ryokan from the "Sumoto Highway Bus Center (洲本高速 BC)" with prior reservation. ||- Limo Bus [to/from] KIX airport --- "Sumoto IC Interchange.” (3,100 Y one-way | 2-2 & ½ hrs). Amahara can also book you a taxi to/from the Interchange stop point (+ 2,600 Y).||||[Do note]-- the Limo buses require prior reservations while the Highway buses are by first-come (queue-based). Since it's public transportation, the resort can only assist you with information (not bookings unless it's a hired taxi). ||||||-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------||||As a side note, there's now a ferry (65 mins from Kansai International Airport) that goes straight to the Sumoto port (~7 mins by car to Amahara; started on July 9, 2017). ||||-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------||||||We will definitely be back again (to try their famous Awaji 3 year Pufferfish)! ||||Full in-depth review with photos, more access information, and videos of the amazing view can be found on my personal blog (see...

I stayed here in December last year with my family, all I can say is I need to go back as soon as possible. Normally when I see pictures of hotels on their website or online I feel it has been edited heavily to make the rooms look better but honestly this hotel surpassed my expectations.|The view from the room was so beautiful that I felt so relaxed and peaceful listening to the sounds of the water and looking at the gorgeous colour of the sky and even when I woke up in the middle of the night the scenery was just stunning. |The onsen in the room is just amazing. I read reviews were people were unhappy about the onsen not being filled before hand. The reason for this is so that water temperature can be adjusted to your liking. As I went in December even if the water was filled it would be cold in 30 minutes if not topped up with hot water. |The water from the onsen was so soothing for my muscles and really aided with my sleep.|The amenities in the room i have to give 10/10.|The beauty products that was left for the guests is really High quality and I just loved the coffee machine with all the different coffee pods. Also love the yukata selection so beautifully folded away and available in many sizes.|The hotel has its own onsen and you can try out other onsens which is part of the same company in a different hotel.|Breakfast was great- very healthy Japanese breakfast. I had my 1 year old daughter with me and was worried she will make a lot of noise for the other guests but they has prepared a private room for my family which was very helpful and put me at ease. |I will be back...