Yanagiya Ryokan

It’s a small hotel with a cozy feel, and I liked seeing the sea from the window. There was also a massage chair in the room, which was great. The location and staff service were good, and the Japanese-style breakfast was delicious. The only amenities were toothbrushes and hair dryers. There was no shampoo, conditioner or body soap. It seemed like you had to phone the front desk and ask them to bring those.

Our Japanese-style room looked out over the beach, which was my favorite part of the stay. The service was exceptional, and the bath was very clean and hot. We had ice cream afterward, which was great. We stayed one night with the family, and we’ll come back next year. Highly recommend!

I stayed here in February 2024, during a trip when I also visited four onsen ryokans or hotels. This was the worst experience I’ve had, not just compared with the other three on that trip, but with any onsen ryokan or hotel I’ve stayed at in Japan. The official website photos gave me a good impression, but the actual stay was the opposite. There are many abandoned ryokans and hotels in Shirahama, and I’m sure this hotel will become one of them. They are renovating rooms one by one, but many other rooms and shared areas remain untouched. My Japanese-style room with an outdoor onsen bath was dim, with old, poorly maintained decor. The false ceiling near the air conditioner was cracked and unrepaired, the carpet was worn and hadn’t been replaced, and the corridor to the public onsen had a terrible atmosphere. The aging interior didn’t meet modern Japanese aesthetic standards. Dinner (dinner) was bad. The seafood, including sashimi and lobsters (Ise lobster), didn’t seem fresh and tasted bad. The Japanese beef (Wagyu beef) seemed to have been kept in the fridge for a long time. Breakfast (breakfast) was a nightmare too, with everything seeming to come straight from the fridge. I think this may be related to low patronage, with food being refrigerated for too long. The high price didn’t guarantee a good stay. There were only 4 groups of guests when I was there, even though the hotel has more than 50 rooms. The situation was better the next days, with 6 groups in total. You can choose a nearby Marriot hotel at a similar price. Don’t risk your holiday.

Having breakfast and dinner brought to our room was a huge help while traveling with children, and this is one of the few inns that offers both meals that way. The portions were generous, but everything was so delicious we finished it all before we knew it, dessert included. The natural hot spring water felt wonderful, and our room had a Mirabath bath. On arrival, they moved our car and carried our luggage, and everyone was so kind. They took time to get the room ready and asked if we needed anything. There’s a FamilyMart next to the inn, which was incredibly convenient. We’d definitely like to stay again.