Tomonoya Ryokan

The guest room smelled musty, with mold on the wallpaper, tatami flooring, and in the bathroom. There were plenty of other defects around the room, but nothing seemed to have been repaired or maintained. The management felt indifferent, like they'd just left the place as it was. The food was awful too, especially the cold, dry rice. For the price, I completely disagree that this is good value. It barely qualifies as a Ryokan, more like a poor imitation, and the room doesn't meet basic cleanliness standards. Don't go, you'll regret it. Read the negative reviews before deciding.

The cypress bath was wonderful, and I loved soaking in it in the morning while enjoying the wood scent. Dinner was still warm even though I came down a bit late, and it was great with a drink. Breakfast was a fantastic curry and seaweed soup combination. What can I say about the dinner and breakfast service? The best!^^ The staff were friendly, and the room was in better shape than the reviews suggested. Other guests had fun in the outdoor pool, but Tomonoyaryokan Geoje branch doesn't have one. I guess those reviews are about the Gyeongju branch, not Geoje! I nearly thought my trip was ruined when I heard the electric car charger was broken. Before leaving, I'd checked whether slow charging was available, but they thought I meant a phone charger. They said there was a slow charger, but I'd forgotten my charging port, so I couldn't use it. While talking with the owner, I checked the trunk just in case, and there was a CHAdeMO charger? LOL Luckily, I charged in the parking lot next door. It would've been truly amazing if I'd been able to charge the car there. Bring your charging port and have a great trip!^^

The concept is really well thought out, and the hotel or ryokan sticks closely to it. Dinner was decent, and the staff clearly try hard to be friendly, even if the service doesn't feel like a typical hotel. The rooms have some unavoidable drawbacks. It seems to have been renovated from an old motel, and the air conditioner keeps making a strange noise. The bathroom has a nice open-air bath feel, but gets too cold in winter. For the weekend price, it could use a bit more upkeep.

I don't want to go back. There were mosquitoes everywhere, and the bathtub and even the tatami mats were moldy. The food had been prepared ahead of time, but sat cold and tasted bad, even though nobody was there. All the towels were worn out and in a terrible state.