Hoshino Resorts KAI Ito

We spent two nights here and had a wonderful stay, with excellent food and friendly staff. The location is a bit inconvenient, though, since a taxi to the station costs about 900 yen. There also wasn’t a vending machine, and I couldn’t find Coke Zero at the hotel.

The meals weren’t anything special, and the service was bad. They didn’t even make the bed, and staff were hardly ever at reception. I’ve stayed at more than 10 other Hoshino group hotels, and this one was the most disappointing.

It was raining, and the staff kindly held an umbrella for my wife and son as they walked to the parking lot, about a minute outside the hotel. Just watch out, the parking spot right by the main entrance belongs to another business. Our two energetic kids kept busy with dolls and drawing sets from the hotel staff while we enjoyed dinner and breakfast. The food was delicious, traditional Japanese course dishes served one at a time. Everything seemed freshly made. The service and food were excellent.

The kaiseki meals were a highlight for our family. Dinner and breakfast both looked beautiful and tasted amazing, and our attentive servers explained the dishes in English. We tried so many foods for the first time that it was hard to pick a favorite. The beef course at dinner was especially memorable, and I’d recommend adding it. Our room was spacious, clean, and well organized, a great fit for our family of four. We’d reserved one with a private onsen, which let a shyer family member try a hot spring. We also used the men’s and women’s public onsen. The videos and translated wall instructions made it easy to understand how to bathe before entering, where to put clothes, and how to follow onsen etiquette. My daughter loved the popsicles afterward, and I thought the hydrangea tea was amazing. The staff helped us with our bags as soon as we drove into the parking lot. The ryokan lobby had a really pleasant scent, and the young woman who checked us in was helpful, explaining the layout and activities in both English and Japanese. We also got to make our own camellia oil, which was a unique souvenir. The garden and koi pond were another nice touch. The kids liked watching the fish and were even happier when they found the fish food. Staying at KAI Ito was one of the best parts of our Japan vacation and gave our family some valuable memories.