Resort Kumano Club

A lovely secluded resort for a memorable cherry-blossom break. It’s all-inclusive, with big rooms, a hot tub in the room, and fine-dining restaurants. Beautiful place.

The mountain views were lovely, and it was peaceful at night with good star viewing. The rooms are stylish, the beds and linens were good, and the on-site eateries were high quality. Vegan and vegetarian guests should order ahead, since most standard dishes use meat, fish, or fish stock. All-inclusive stays are unusual in Japan, and it was nice not having to carry money or pay separately at the hot springs and restaurants around the grounds. The towels were a bit thin, though, and they still use single-use plastic amenities, even if there are signs of moving toward more sustainable choices. There was very little information, menu text, or signage in English.

Dinner was delicious, made with local ingredients and served in just the right portions. I also really liked the onsen. The resort is spacious and has plenty to offer, including craft workshops guests can reserve, though I didn’t get to try one. It’s a little remote from town, which could make getting around after check-in difficult without a car. The grounds are large too, so walking from your room to the front desk takes time. The resort offers an internal shuttle that can be arranged by calling, but that may still be a hassle for international guests who don’t speak Japanese.

We chose this place for a special stay while hiking sections of the Kumano Kodo, since we were celebrating my husband’s birthday. The smaller, more rustic places farther up in the mountains had either booked up early or seemed a bit rough around the edges. Resort Kumano was larger but had lots of nice amenities, and its location worked well for our hikes. Tanabe might also have been a good option, with more lodging choices. Our royal suite was huge, and I loved the outdoor bath, which was more like a private onsen, with hot water and a mountain view. The suite and resort could use updating. They felt about 20-30 years out of date, though everything was clean and well kept. Breakfast was a big buffet that kept us going, but the coffee was horrible. Dinner was fantastic: modern, delicious food with local ingredients and great service. We were disappointed to find there was no room for us at dinner on arrival, especially as hotel guests, but we ate there on the next two nights and loved it. Better communication before arrival would help, especially about needing to book dinner ahead. All in all, we were pleased with the stay, and I hope they make some updates and keep the business going.