Ise Todaya Ryoan

The food tasted good, though not having a menu made me uneasy, and the sashimi portions started generous before getting smaller as the meal went on. For an expensive stay in Ise, I expected more guest-focused service. The attendant wasn’t there at our scheduled check-in, spoke brusquely, and her phone rang several times while she served us. The dining room was cold in the evening and again in the morning. We were seated diagonally from each other despite being just two people, with warm air from the AC blowing straight onto the table. There were some lovely features. The entrance had the dignified, luxurious feel of a high-class restaurant, and our two-room Japanese-style room looked out over the garden. It felt a little like staying in a Showa-era mansion, or in a place where a literary giant might have stayed to write. But the tatami was worn, and a kettle and tea bucket had half-finished drinks left by the previous guest. The narrow driveway nearly had me scrape the car against the plants. I understand cars have grown wider over time, but it was still a problem. I hope the inn looks at how newer resort hotels and ryokans handle hospitality and reviews its service from the guest’s point of view.

The food was delicious, but the day left my family with a very unpleasant memory. We held our post-wedding reception at your venue on December 10th. The consultations and visits beforehand had been courteous, yet the server and proprietress were unfriendly on the day, and the atmosphere felt far from welcoming. Our relatives arrived first and were led silently into a cold room without even a congratulatory greeting. Maybe the large number of guests bothered them. When we asked for drinks, we were curtly told, “They’re over there,” which confused my family. A certificate showing the meat was high quality was brought out, placed on the table without a word, then taken away. When we tried to take photos, they looked puzzled and focused on clearing dishes without asking if we wanted pictures (lol). I feel awful that my family had to go through that on such an important day. Our trip to Ise was somewhat overshadowed, though it’s still a memory we’ll treasure forever. Thank you.

For us as elderly guests, the lighting in the washrooms, toilets, and corridors was too dim and felt unsafe, despite the inn being advertised as historic with 193 years of history. The staircase seemed especially dangerous. Air conditioning was only available in the living room and bedroom, so the sharp temperature changes when going to the toilet, washroom, or bathroom left us feeling more tired.

The building and garden have a wonderful atmosphere as a traditional Japanese restaurant, but as a place to stay, I found it very poor. There are only two rooms upstairs: one has a cypress bath, while the other just has a unit bath. You can’t lock your room when you go out. The old building may explain why sound carries, but I could hear everything from the person next door. They were noisy from 4 o’clock in the morning, walking around energetically and using a hair dryer. The price is high, yet the food and room don’t justify it. I think it would be fine at half the price.