Arima Hot spring Ryokan Kotori

The place had a calm, serene feel, just right for slowing down and relaxing. We had an ensuite room with its own onsen, and the staff service was impeccable. At checkout, they asked about our plans and offered to keep our luggage while we walked around, which saved us some trouble. Highly recommended, and I'd definitely visit again if I come back to Japan.

This was the most traumatic experience of my life. My son paid ¥250,000 to book this hotel, Onsen Ryokan Kodori Kodori. When we arrived, staff said they hadn't received the money and demanded another ¥250,000 in cash. Since this was a family trip, we paid to settle it. Then a staff member took me to room 201, which had no toilet and no bathroom. They told me to use a public toilet downstairs and pay extra to use a public bathroom in another building, their affiliated hotel, Gokosho Hanamusubi Arima Onsen Japanese Style Inn, Gokosho Hanamusubi. How could they charge us ¥50,000 per room per night when there was no toilet in the room? It was ridiculous and unbelievable in Japan. They also called the police and asked them to catch me and my son because we disagreed about the money. Fortunately, the police understood that we had suffered and helped us ask for a refund. In the end, we got only 50% back, then immediately left those demon people and the hotel.

We had a perfect mountain view from our room, and they offer station pickup. At kotori, the silver hot spring needs to be booked for a 45-minute slot per room. That wasn't convenient for me since I don't use the hot spring, and I couldn't find any shower room in this hotel, so I couldn't share the bath with my roommate. Breakfast was plentiful and satisfying. Dinner at their sister hotel was superb, with a menu that changes every month. If your budget allows, I highly recommend hanamusubi, where they have both gold and silver hot springs and you can enjoy traditional Japanese hospitality.

We really liked the cosy atmosphere at this Ryokan. For the price, the food and bath were a pleasant surprise, and the whole stay exceeded our expectations. We didn't mind the shared toilet since it was clean, or the short walk to the sister Ryokan for the 'Gold bath' and dinner.