Yuraku — Hotel in Toyooka

We stayed at this onsen for only one night but if we had known how incredibly relaxing it would be, we would have definitely stayed longer. ||||The service: Above and beyond. There are a couple of people on hand that speak good English, and a few that don't, but it's nothing that can't be communicated with body language and a smile, and smile is something they do very well. They offered to take pictures for us when they noticed us admiring the view, and when we departed they went outside smiling and waving to us until we rounded the bend. ||||The onsen: I used both the private baths and the public hotel bath. The facilities are clean, well organized and they have all the amenities you need. I'm a product junkie, so seeing my favourite shampoo (shiseido tsubuki) and facial products (pola) there was exciting for me. The private flowers bath is beautiful. ||||The food: A kaiseki meal is a once in a lifetime (or if you're lucky, two,or multiple times) experience, and if you have it at this hotel you won't be disappointed. We had crabs, shrimp, and tajima beef. Such a quality meal. Yuuki provided meal services for us and he was a true professional and so very, very kind. The presentation was wonderful, and the food was delicious and plentiful. On top of a having a stellar dinner in the room in our yukatas, we were also impressed with the delicious and attractive presentation of further gastronomic delights with our breakfast, also served in room. ||||The room: The look of this room is standard to what I think most ryokan rooms look like if you just google it. That said, this one is clean, comfortable, large-ish, had an amazing view and I LOVED it. The beds they set up for us on the floor were very comfortable and we had a great nights sleep. There was very nice toilet and sink area. The day we went, it rained hard all day. We sat by our delightful sitting area by the huge windows with a killer view of the gardens and it was awesome. || ||The location: Let's be honest, the town is so small most of the ryokans in Kinosaki seem well located. This one looks more out of the way, but it's actually only a leisurely 20 minute walk to the bus station and it's a beautiful walk. But no need to walk if you don't want, there's a shuttle bus to take you to and from the hotel. ||||I stayed here a week ago and I'm dreaming of coming back one day, and when I do I hope the quality of this place remains consistent. Thank you to all the staff, and especially Yuuki for the experience. ||||TLDR: best experience of my trip, loved the room, exemplary service,...

We stayed at this onsen for only one night but if we had known how incredibly relaxing it would be, we would have definitely stayed longer. ||||The service: Above and beyond. There are a couple of people on hand that speak good English, and a few that don't, but it's nothing that can't be communicated with body language and a smile, and smile is something they do very well. They offered to take pictures for us when they noticed us admiring the view, and when we departed they went outside smiling and waving to us until we rounded the bend. ||||The onsen: I used both the private baths and the public hotel bath. The facilities are clean, well organized and they have all the amenities you need. I'm a product junkie, so seeing my favourite shampoo (shiseido tsubuki) and facial products (pola) there was exciting for me. The private flowers bath is beautiful. ||||The food: A kaiseki meal is a once in a lifetime (or if you're lucky, two,or multiple times) experience, and if you have it at this hotel you won't be disappointed. We had crabs, shrimp, and tajima beef. Such a quality meal. Yuuki provided meal services for us and he was a true professional and so very, very kind. The presentation was wonderful, and the food was delicious and plentiful. On top of a having a stellar dinner in the room in our yukatas, we were also impressed with the delicious and attractive presentation of further gastronomic delights with our breakfast, also served in room. ||||The room: The look of this room is standard to what I think most ryokan rooms look like if you just google it. That said, this one is clean, comfortable, large-ish, had an amazing view and I LOVED it. The beds they set up for us on the floor were very comfortable and we had a great nights sleep. There was very nice toilet and sink area. The day we went, it rained hard all day. We sat by our delightful sitting area by the huge windows with a killer view of the gardens and it was awesome. || ||The location: Let's be honest, the town is so small most of the ryokans in Kinosaki seem well located. This one looks more out of the way, but it's actually only a leisurely 20 minute walk to the bus station and it's a beautiful walk. But no need to walk if you don't want, there's a shuttle bus to take you to and from the hotel. ||||I stayed here a week ago and I'm dreaming of coming back one day, and when I do I hope the quality of this place remains consistent. Thank you to all the staff, and especially Yuuki for the experience. ||||TLDR: best experience of my trip, loved the room, exemplary service,...

If you're looking for an incredibly warm, welcoming onsen town experience in Japan, look no further than Kinosaki and the wonderful Yuraku ryokan. This place blew away all my expectations in the best way possible.

From the moment we arrived, the staff at Yuraku went above and beyond to make us feel at home. The hospitality was truly unmatched - no request was too much as they bent over backwards to ensure our every comfort and need was met during our stay. The personal touches left us feeling so appreciated, like when the server who brought our kaiseki dinner course in our room wrote us a heartfelt note saying how glad she was to have met us and that she enjoyed chatting.

The ryokan itself is a beautifully preserved heritage building, but the real showcase is the amazing onsen baths. Yuraku has both private and public style onsen that were immaculately maintained. As someone with tattoos, I was touched by their welcoming policy that is still very rare in Japan.

But what really sets Kinosaki apart is how the whole town has united to promote itself as an onsen haven for all. Visitors with tattoos who are usually shunned from public baths in other parts of Japan onsen towns can freely enjoy soaking at the different onsen facilities here. You can tangibly feel the local spirit of openness.

Strolling the willow-lined streets in our yukata robes, popping into the unique local shops, and visiting the different baths made for such a rejuvenating, quintessential onsen town experience. Yet it's Kinosaki's concerted effort to be inclusive that truly warmed my heart.

The gestures of hospitality were deepfelt until the very end - when we checked out, the entire front desk staff came outside to bid us a personal farewell, staying in sight and waving until we walked beyond the ryokan's front gates. It was such a touching moment.

I highly highly recommend Yuraku ryokan and Kinosaki enough for families, couples or solo travelers looking to immerse themselves in centuries of tradition without judgment. This place is pure...