Manten no Tsujinoya

The garden bath and public bath were both nice, and the sauna was extremely hot, which I loved. The Japanese garden is big and gorgeous, with all kinds of trees, a river, several bridges, and stone lanterns. The room was a bit old but in good condition. Staff were very nice, even though they don't speak much English. Their enthusiasm and hospitality came through easily. It was a very nice ryokan experience.

The room was spacious and comfortable, and both breakfast and dinner tasted good. Dinner service, though, was disappointing. Dishes came in a seemingly random order with almost no explanation, and were set down from a distance in a very casual way. The sukiyaki and soup weren't brought at all until we asked, and then the response was, "Huh? Haven't they been served yet?" It was also very cold in the guest room, hallways, and dining area, which made it hard to enjoy the meal in peace. I think the stay could be much more satisfying with better service and a more thoughtful serving process.

We came back on February 1 at my wife's request. The main bath really is magnificent, with a huge, luxurious indoor space, and it's such a pleasant bath that it alone makes the visit worthwhile. Few inns these days seem to let guests use the bath after checkout. Public baths are nice, but they just don't compare with a large inn bath. On our weekday lunch visit, the long-established inn had a luxurious feel and gave us a relaxing time. It was a large place, but there seemed to be few staff around, which made it feel a little bleak. The bath water was lukewarm, and the food didn't meet our expectations. My wife felt the same, and I didn't think it was worth the price. Having the meal served in our room was very nice, though.

The facilities were clean and nice, and lunch was delicious. We visited for lunch and a day-use bath after a friend in Ishikawa Prefecture made the reservation for us. The baths were generally nice, but the bath plan charged an extra 300 yen for bath and hand towels, so they weren't included. There was also a notice that the milk water temperature in the outdoor bath could be unstable. In winter it was lukewarm, which was disappointing, and I hope it gets fixed soon. We bathed after lunch, and I think we could have relaxed more if we could have used a room afterward. I also wanted coffee or something in the lobby after bathing, but there was no service for that, which left me disappointed. The facilities are impressive, but the hospitality didn't feel very considerate of guests.