Kashikojima Grand Hotel

Very good.

Breakfast was the one point where the staff seemed thoughtful and careful about clearing the dishes. The rest of the stay was a terrible experience, and I definitely won't return or recommend it. I paid 10,000 yen for an adult on a holiday, which seemed like a good deal, but I've had just as satisfying stays at other ryokans for that price. I knew this wasn't a hot spring, but there were strands of hair floating in the bath. The building is old, and that part didn't bother me. What did bother me was booking a 6:00 PM check-in and then being told dinner couldn't be served after 6:30. Dinner service was awful. I had the window open in the cold, the food went cold, and staff were clearing other guests' dishes noisily. They seemed so busy I couldn't even ask for water. It was cold and loud, the food tasted worse, and I couldn't relax or shake off the day's fatigue. The staff were kind and helpful, but seemed to be working reluctantly. Maybe they couldn't leave until everything was finished on time, but it was too much. The price difference could have played a part, though even guests who paid less had good reviews, so maybe it was just how busy things were.

The futons were fluffy, and there weren't any bugs. One man from another room did accidentally walk into ours, though. The bath wasn't a hot spring, and it was too hot for the kids to get in. I came after reading the reviews and brought my little kids. They spent ages playing with the baseball board I'd heard about, and we could take it back to our room. They also had unusual extras like a putting green and a ping-pong table, which kept the kids entertained. The food was pretty reasonable for the price, though a better course might have been nicer.

It turned out to be a unique and interesting place, not as bad as people say. The little AEON mall is only a two-minute drive away. Next door, there's a fairly well-known tonkatsu restaurant with about three adorable stray cats. We could see Ago Bay from the room, and the kids loved the extra space beside the Japanese-style room, where there were two additional beds. A Famicom remote hung from the TV, and it looked like you could play games by inserting coins, but there was no money in it. Too bad. We also rented fishing gear, went out that morning, and caught a pufferfish. The bath was incredibly hot, but we had it to ourselves, which felt like a luxury. The food was pretty good, and breakfast was Japanese and healthy. Everyone ate a lot. Maybe the place isn't really for kids, but ours enjoyed the mini golf area, nostalgic toys, books, and ping-pong table. The front desk definitely has a Showa-era look. I'd heard the hotel was shabby and old, so I was nervous before we went.