Yamatoya Honten

“A wonderful stay very close to Dogo Onsen”

We were booked into Dogo Onsen Yamatoya Honten as part of our tour with Gem Japan Tours (an outstanding tour company that I very highly recommend). We were excited at the prospect of staying in a ryokan, and we were not disappointed. We were greeted outside the entrance by staff members in the … more

We were booked into Dogo Onsen Yamatoya Honten as part of our tour with Gem Japan Tours (an outstanding tour company that I very highly recommend). We were excited at the prospect of staying in a ryokan, and we were not disappointed. We were greeted outside the entrance by staff members in the driveway. The entrance is designed to provide a physical transition from the outside world into one of quiet and calm. You pass over a tiny little stream between the entrance and the lobby. There are a lot of inviting armchairs in the beautifully understated lobby. Our group of 5 was assigned 3 rooms -- Japanese style with tatami mats and futons for the 2 couples and a Western style room for the single. All the rooms were very clean, quiet, and comfortable. Yukata, tabi socks, and slippers were provided for each guest. We all enjoyed soaking in the onsen baths. The hotel was not crowded at the time we visited, which made visiting the onsen very nice. We ended up not visiting Dogo Onsen because we were so content with the onsen in the ryokan. Kaiseki dinners were served in private dining rooms, and we really enjoyed the entire experience. We were given a choice between Western and Japanese breakfasts, and we all chose the Japanese breakfast, which was served in a public dining room. All the meals were delicious and satisfying. After breakfast, we visited the coffee shop in the lobby for a delicious cup of coffee before heading out to start a full day of sightseeing. The location made it very convenient for going out for shopping and sightseeing. There is a lovely gift shop next to the lobby, and I bought some nice tabi house slippers there. Everyone on the staff was friendly, welcoming, and helpful. If I ever get the chance to visit Matsuyama again, I would love to stay at Dogo Onsen Yamatoya Honten again. We had a very pleasurable stay!

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“Grat location, large room”

Just checked in. Got upgraded from standard to Junior suite with large Tatami room and 2 twin beds, #901. It's corner room and has views from bathroom and toilets. Bathroom, vanity area, toilets are all separate and VERY large. Separate Tatami room and bedroom also has separate entrance and VERY s… more

Just checked in. Got upgraded from standard to Junior suite with large Tatami room and 2 twin beds, #901. It's corner room and has views from bathroom and toilets. Bathroom, vanity area, toilets are all separate and VERY large. Separate Tatami room and bedroom also has separate entrance and VERY spacious. Service is sophisticated and very organized. I emailed them about arrival time at 2pm and room was ready. I've never experienced getting into the room at any ryokan before 3pm so I was very impressed. I chose this hotel because of it's location and views. I also stayed at Dogo Prince Hotel for the price, Dogokan for private bath room. Didn't have dinner yet but so far this room is the largest of all. Location is right across from DogoOnsen, main building and steps to shopping, center of Dogo Onsen. If you chose the location it's definitely this hotel is the best of all. There's a choice of Japanese and Western breakfast. If you can eat fish I'd definitely go for Japanese. Much more choices and selections.

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“Charming onsen-hotel in perfect location”

I had a fantastic stay at the Yamatoya Honten. I stayed for 2 nights and really appreciated that the hotel offered solo travel rates, as this is rare for ryokans in this area. My room was a Standard Japanese-style room on the 10th (top) floor. It was very spacious with a large sleeping/eating area,… more

I had a fantastic stay at the Yamatoya Honten. I stayed for 2 nights and really appreciated that the hotel offered solo travel rates, as this is rare for ryokans in this area. My room was a Standard Japanese-style room on the 10th (top) floor. It was very spacious with a large sleeping/eating area, and a separate, smaller sitting room and fridge / tea area, with windows overlooking the street. There are screens that you can close to close off the sitting area. The bathroom was very basic - separate small room with bath / hand-held sitting shower, separate sink area, and separate w/c. There were lovely face, bath and hair products by POLA. Dinners were served in the 4th floor restaurant which overlooked a courtyard with the Goh stage - it was very pretty. My dinners featured a different menu on the 2 nights and were excellent quality traditional kaiseki meals. Breakfast is buffet-style in a large conference-style room on 2nd floor. There were limited Western breakfast options. I loved the sushi bar with various fresh ingredients to assemble your own sushi bowl. One of the top features of this ryokan is the beautiful onsen in the basement level. There are two gender-separated onsen, and they switch at each bathing time so that you can experience both. One of them has 2 outdoor pools and the other has only 1; both also have a large indoor onsen. They are both spacious with lots of amenities and POLA products. The public spaces in the hotel are dated but have a lot of charm. I found it to be amazing value given the inclusion of 2 meals per day. Also, the location next door to the newly refurbished and incredible Dogo Onsen, could not be better. The area is super charming. I would highly recommend Yamatoya Honten.

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“Disappointment！　残念！”

Excellent location, facility and food！But.....The hot spring, which is important in this place, had a disinfectant smell. I think that old historical hotels should take this seriously and consider some measures.　ロケーション、設備、食事は申し分有りませんでした。ただ、温泉の消毒薬臭さ対策を行えば、道後温泉1のホテルに成ると思います。