Kamenoi Hotel Yanagawa

“Great place beside the canal,”

We came to Yanagawa to see and ride on the old canals and stayed at this authentic Japanese hotel for a night . Nice place right beside the canal where you can see the boats going by. There were three of us so we had a big room, one part Western with two single beds the other part was a Japanese ta… more

We came to Yanagawa to see and ride on the old canals and stayed at this authentic Japanese hotel for a night . Nice place right beside the canal where you can see the boats going by. There were three of us so we had a big room, one part Western with two single beds the other part was a Japanese tatami mat room where the staff made up a bed on the floor while we were at dinner. Booking in was easy and staff super polite which is the normal in Japan. Before dinner we went to the hot springs bath and relaxed in the lovely hot waters. We had booked in for dinner 6.30 pm. in the main dining room , we went in the Yukata’s that the hotel provided, very relaxing. Dinner was a set menu, typical Japanese food, about ten little bowls containing different items, miso soup, different Sashimi’s, chicken , pickles , eel, which this area is famous for and another lovely small fried fish, plenty to fill you up and for sweets a huge piece of water melon. The room did have a bath and shower but didn’t use them as we used the hot spring baths, there was free wifi, a safe and good TV. Slept well. First thing in the morning we went to the outside hot bath before going and enjoying a smorgasbord breakfast. In the Rockpool baths they supply all you need , body soap , shampoo, conditioner, hairdryers etc, always a nice experience. Typical Japanese breakfast , no cereals but plenty to choose from. We had trout and puffer fish, plenty of veggies, the scrambled egg was scrumptious. Plenty of fruit, mango , orange and delicious pineapple. While we went of doing a boat ride on the canals the hotel held our luggage for us, very handy. The hotel also has a good gift shop. We enjoyed our stay, gives you a real Japanese hotel experience.

less

“older hotel offering an authentic Japanese experience”

This hotel is located right along one of the peaceful canals that Yanagawa is known for. It's a short walk from the Ohana villa and canal boat rides. It's about a 10-minute drive from Ni$hitetsu Yanagawa station. This hotel seems to have been around for decades but it's still run very well. The cl… more

This hotel is located right along one of the peaceful canals that Yanagawa is known for. It's a short walk from the Ohana villa and canal boat rides. It's about a 10-minute drive from Ni$hitetsu Yanagawa station. This hotel seems to have been around for decades but it's still run very well. The clientele are mostly elderly Japanese. The doors still open using a key! Forget about internet or wifi. However, it's very authentic Japanese and can be charming if you're looking to integrate with the local culture. There's a gift shop on the 1st floor and a local vendor selling local items for cooking - like a 1-man farmer's market in the lobby. There's also massage, an outdoor hot spring for hotel guests (separated by gender), and a private outdoor hot spring bath available by reservation in 40-minute blocks of time. There's both a restaurant and a tatami banquet room on the 2nd floor. There also appeared to be a massage area on this floor. There's a indoor hot spring for hotel guests (separated by gender) on the 5th floor. Rooms come with buffet-style breakfast included. It's almost entirely Japanese food but was very good, better than a very similar breakfast we had in a newer hotel in Kyoto. If you stay here on a weekend then you must also pay for dinner. This takes place in the tatami banquet room. It's weird that you have to pay for dinner with the room, but the food was outstanding. It's a traditional set meal typical in fine Japanese restaurants. Many small, carefully prepared dishes. We stayed in 2 different rooms over the course of a week while visiting relatives. Each room was much bigger than you will typically find in Japan - comparable to the room sizes we are accustomed to in the US. The first room was a suite with mix of western style - 2 beds - and an adjoining tatami room. This room lacked a shower/bath. Guests are expected to use the hot spring. The second room was smaller, lacking the adjoining tatami area, but included a bath/shower.

less