Jingu Hall — Local services in Ise

I had a hard time trying to book this hotel because we were going to stay there during the Japanese year end's holidays. The hotel was full house!||||We managed to book a 12-mat tatami room for the 5 of us (3 adults and 2 kids). The room only has a sink. Toilets and baths are all public. However, even the public areas are amazingly clean - so clean that I am willing to overlook the inconvenience of public toilets. The public baths are neat with all necessary amenities.||||We reserved the most expensive set menu upon reading Japanese reviews. I must confess that I was a bit disappointed. We booked one Japanese/Western meal and two Japanese traditional meals. The Japanese set menu comes with fugu tempura and boiled fugu, boiled lobster. The Western set menu comes with steak instead of fugu and lobster with sauce. Both sets have a sashimi platter with lobster and cooked abalone. I just don't find the taste particularly different or special. In fact, I would say it tasted almost a bit bland. The raving reviews from the Japanese could have come from the expensive ingredients - which seems a bargain at this price. However, I must confess that we don't appreciate fugu - which is generally pretty tasteless. I wouldn't recommend ordering the most expensive set menu. Cheaper menus would do. ||||Breakfast was Japanese style as well. I have had better ones. Upon second thought, I have generally had better meals at smaller establishments. ||||On another note, service was great. Front desk staff and restaurant staff are both friendly. The waitress at the restaurant explained every dish to us. ||||I believe this hotel is run as an attachment to Ise Jingu. It conducts a morning tour at 6:30 for 1.5 hours of the Ise Jingu. We didn't join because of the time (too early) and the tour is only in Japanese. We later tried to visit the Jingu ourselves, and it was then that I understood why the tour was so early. By the time we went, the place was swarming with visitors - probably also due to the end of the year when people went to pay respect to the shrines. ||||The price is extremely reasonable. You have a choice from cheaper meals to the most expensive ones. If I were in the area again, mostly definitely would consider...

We stayed here in May 2012 during Golden Week. It is quite a charming traditional Japanese hotel. I don't think they get many foreigners here, as they do not seem to speak anything but Japanese. There is a public bath for women and one for men on the 4th floor. The restaurant food was absolutely amazing as it was a traditional 10 course meal. Lots of interesting foods. The beds are futon mattresses on the floor, so i requested 3 mattresses to be up off the floor. They provide yucatas in the rooms which lots of people wear to dinner. The location is close to a traditional shopping area which is a must to vist and literally across the street. The Grand Shrine is close and worth a visit as the grounds are stunning.Not much to do in the evening and there is no internet services. All in all was a pretty nice place to stay. Very clean and...

Salute to the hotel staff. Actually we are not their customers and just parked the car in the parking lot next to this hotel. The rented car is broken down and when we are hopeless, we pop into this hotel for help. It’s 38 degree hot and the staff offers help to find Toyota Rent a car to send someone to check the car. During these 2 hours, the hotel staff offers great great help and stayed with us...