Ryotei Tanokura — Hotel in Yufu

Our family liked this ryokan because:||1/ Convenient location|150m from Kinrin Lake (so we can catch the ephemeral 7am morning mists); |160m from Yufumabushi Shin (main store of this famous claypot rice);|250m from Yufuin Floral Village - which consists of the Ghibli cottage houses, owls/ leopard cats / goats/ bunnies/ mandarin ducks pet cafes... and also adjacent to the Snoopy Chaya/ teahouse, Miffy bakery, Yufuin Kinsho Croquettes, Milch puddings...||2/ Prompt and easy communication|We asked several questions about the room types and hotel pickup - they replied promptly and clearly. Only thing is - they prefer guests to call upon arriving for the hotel pickup, even though trains in Japan almost always arrive on time! ||3/ Excellent service|Every other ryokan we visited usually has one attendant who would give you the thorough rundown of how the ryokan works, but has numerous service staff to do the table service and bed setup, which can be a little bit overwhelming with numerous people entering. HOWEVER, in this ryokan, everything was done by our ONLY attendant, Akumi, and I can't praise enough how great she was in terms of efficiency, politeness, knowledge in the menu items e.g. answering our questions on the origin of their wagyu and yuzu. It was also great to see they have a Nepalese, Sri Lankan and Vietnamese staff who were all well-versed in their native tongue and English.||4/ Relaxing grounds and room|Quick search online shows this ryokan is actually combined with two other ryokans, presumably bought over and expanded over the years of running their ryokan. It was relaxing to wander around the grounds with their willowy Japanese maple trees and winding walkways, kind of like walking in the courtyards of a real Japanese palace with huge grounds to roam around in. The room itself was simple, but we liked that our room (the second largest one) actually was made up of two rooms comfortable for slightly larger families, complete with its own outdoor onsen within our own courtyard, indoor onsen bath, dressing table with basin and all amenities. We could soak anytime we wanted in privacy, without having to use the two shared ones, even though you could always try them out! ||5/ Food was great|All great quality from the sashimi, to the wagyu, to the special desserts. I guess that's why they're called Ryotei - not just a traditional inn (that's ryokan), they also specialize in traditional ryokan cuisine (making it a ryotei) - a...

Most comfortable ryokan stay I've had in my travels to Japan. We stayed for 2 nights in the Japanese style maisonette - 2 floors, 2 bedrooms with private onsen - plus dinner and breakfast included. There were a total of 3 onsens available, and a 4th that was under construction during our stay.

Meals were delicious and with a lot of variety, omakase style. The menu changes everyday with a different specialty each time. We only realised afterwards that the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star - and it shows in the care and delicacy of each dish.

Location is very convenient, right in the middle of the tourist area and next to Kinrin Lake. It is a bit far from the train station but the ryokan provides a free shuttle service, just need to inform the front desk of your travel plans.

During our stay we were served by Shoko-san. Her hospitality had us settled in right away, from bringing us to our room while showing us to the ryokan facilities, serving us the welcome matcha tea with yokan, taking care of our meals everyday, and finally escorting us to the shuttle bus (it was actually a really huge private car just for us). We are absolutely grateful for her heartwarming hospitality - one of my friends could not make it for breakfast as she was unwell, and Shoko-san had onigiris and pickles prepared instead, she then personally served it to our room. Thank you so much!

Overall, this became the highlight of our trip. Highly recommend everyone to stay here for genuine Japanese hospitality, the beautiful rooms, delicious food, and...

To stay at Tanokura Ryotei is an experience one must have at least once in their lives. |From the moment we parked our car in the adjacent lot , service was of the utmost pleasure of our hosts at the Tanokura Inn |The entry way alone whisks one away to a dreamland of comfortable luxury on nostalgic and beautiful settings ||Check in/ out :|Check in was a beautiful experience. You are sat down , and swiftly checked in. You are then shown a life size map of the place that shows you where you are staying and all the public onsen ofuros are. ||Room : our room , room 60, is a palatial suite of endless tatami, shoji doors , a beautiful garden , lots of space and an amazing rotanburi (outside fresh onsen ofuro ) surrounded by beautiful plants and garden. ||You are absolutely at peace. ||Food : As with any stay at a ryokan , dinner and breakfasts are provided. |Kaiseki dinner here is like being fed like and imperial queen would feel like. The food is so absolutely delicious and bountiful ||Breakfasts are just as filling and absolutely delectable ||The onsen rotanburi was so addictive I would make it a point of going in the morning , before dinner and after dinner. So healing. ||Location : Tanokura is so conveniently located 1 minute walk from Lake Kinrin , 5 minutes walk from the main shopping street ||Over Al I was so happy with my 2 nights stay here. I am so sad to leave I hope the universe brings me back here again in...