Higasiyama sou — Hotel in Toyooka

Had the nicest and most accommodating staff I've ever seen with the yummiest food I've had at a hotel stay. The food was just so so good. It was my first time trying crab sashimi, but I'm now a huge fan and it honestly shook my resolve of my preference for oysters to crab. The tajima beef was also delicious and the personal grills provided made the dinner experience all the more interactive and fun. You would think because of the pricier ingredients, you wouldn't feel full after dinner, but trust me when I say you will be absolutely stuffed! Dinner was also provided in the rooms and the staff even when out of their way to allow all of our big group to eat together without us even asking! On top of that, they prepared a hearty meal for members in the party that had food restrictions that definitely looked on par as to what the rest of the group were eating. Breakfast was also lovely and very filling. ||As for the hotel itself, it's a bit off to the side of the main busy roads of Kinosaki, but still plenty close enough. Room was clean and spacious and the pillows were actual pillows! The accommodating nature of the whole place went right down to the fibers of the pillows as they were split into traditional Japanese pillows with the beads and all and regular Western ones.||The hotel also provides very cute floral print yukatas for the ladies and even had staff put it on for us. Perfect for tons of pictures. ||While the main onsen attraction are the 7 onsens located around Kinosaki onsen, the one in the hotel wasn't too shabby itself. They gave an all day pass to the 7 onsens in Kinosaki with the stay so if you want more than that, just feel free to take a couple minute stroll out to the other ones. Highly recommend Sato no yu the most. Small tip for the reservable baths in the hotel itself: make a reservation for which time slot you want when you check in or else there might not be space available when you want it.||Overall the highlight of my trip and I wish to go back again someday to eat that crab and beef! MVP was the lady who graciously helped us put on our yukatas and set up our dinners. The kindest lady who deserves...

The hotel is a close walk from the station and the staff are all very courteous and friendly. The rooms are a little dated and many of them seem to be smoking rooms. They have a private onsen which can booked in 45 minute blocks however it is quite small. Their public onsen is opened 24hours and is segregated by gender.

The meal service is excellent. On the first night you are asked to pick a time for your breakfast, dinner and time for the private onsen. Make sure you are on time because they are prompt, and the food is amazing. The portions are extremely generous and the variety is incredible. The only disadvantage to this setup is that you are usually so stuffed all day you don't get the chance to try any other restaurants in town.

They provide everyone with a Yukata (robe) which you can use to walk around town and visit the onsens. Women are given a ticket for a rental of a more formal outfit but the many accessories involved make it impractical for multiple onsen visits. The staff will also help you put it on if you ask. I'd recommend using the free one for onsen visits and the formal one for photos and a stroll around town.

They are very close to all the shops and the train station, and I highly recommend a trip to the Sea of Japan - one train stop by the JR line followed by a long walk or a bus ride. We opted for the walk which gave us the ability to walk through some real cool rice fields and see the town. When we got to the beach it was completely empty and felt almost like a private beach. There are some real amazing caves that make for a great picture if you hop the small wall and walk over the gravel and rocks to find them. We went on a Tuesday at noon and there were no open restaurants.

Toyooka is also a train stop away and they are famous for their handbags. The city itself is a little dystopian feeling, but if you are in the market for quality leather it might be worth a visit. It also gives you the chance to see how a real Japanese (non-tourist) city feels.

Overall the experience was amazing, and we would have loved to have...

I visited this hotel with six friends and had a blast. Granted, we were only there for a day and a half, but still...wow! Upon arriving, there was staff awaiting us at the doors. Our check-in time was actually at 3:00pm and we arrived at about 12. However, we were allowed to leave our luggage and roam KInosaki Onsen Town until it was check-in time. Upon returning, we were led up to our rooms and given a free onsen pass, which enables us to visit all 7 onsens for free! (Which, of course, we did). Our rooms came with simple yukatas but we were also given the option to choose more traditional yukatasーthe full-on yukatas with the huge bow in the back and the big sleeves, with accompanying geta sandals which were like walking in high-heeled front-less flip flops. But nonetheless we rocked those outfits like we wore them everyday. The yukatas were so beautiful and comfortable! The getas were for picking up the morning paper and heading back in (sooo not for me). It was hilarious clicking around the town like tap dancers though. Anywho...when we realized putting on that kind of yukata was rocket science for fabrics, a staff member came up to the room and patiently fit all seven of us in our yukatas. She was so great! (We call her auntie). The best part of this hotel for me was how accommodating they were. Within our group was a vegetarian and a vegan. They made special dishes for both persons and completely understood that vegan/vegetarian does not include fish (a concept lost on many eateries in Japan). We booked 2 rooms between the 7 of us and wanted to eat together, but food was meant to be served in each room. They obliged and brought us to an un-booked room and served us both dinner and breakfast there. 5 Points for Gryffindor! I was so impressed! This hotel also has its own bath house which is up to par with several others. The facilities were clean and spacious and the location was close to the center of Kinosaki Town where you can go broke buying souvenirs. I would...