Miyajima Hotel Makoto

“Charming old school ryokan hotel”

Located a few minutes walk from the ferry port and easy walking distance to Itsukushima Shrine and all the shops/restaurants. This was my first time in a ryokan/ryokan style hotel, fortunately I’d done my research and knew what to expect with regard to mealtimes and the facilities. The hotel is a … more

Located a few minutes walk from the ferry port and easy walking distance to Itsukushima Shrine and all the shops/restaurants. This was my first time in a ryokan/ryokan style hotel, fortunately I’d done my research and knew what to expect with regard to mealtimes and the facilities. The hotel is a bit on the old side, but that just added to the charm for me. I was in room 308 which was a Japanese-style single. The main room was very spacious, with a good amount of storage and even a large safe (with an actual key), which I was all very happy about as more modern hotel rooms I stayed in on my trip could not offer the same. The bathroom had separate rooms for the toilet and shower/bath wetroom and the counter level for the sinks seemed to be a bit low. The room lobby (for want of a better description) has a fridge and tea/coffee making facilities. WiFi was fine (not much phone signal), I didn’t use the TV at all. In the cupboard/wardrobe there is a yukata to wear when in the hotel if you wish (which I did in the evenings for dinner). My booking had breakfast and dinner included, which was taken in a dining room on the second floor. Each room has their own table. No matter the meal it’s a set menu of several courses of what I believe has a lot of locally sourced seafood. To be honest I had no idea what most of it was (even after using Google Translate on the menu) but it’s all part of the fun! I ate everything that was put in front of me and didn’t go hungry. The hotel also has a sento (public bath) which while par for the course regarding Japan, maybe a bit unusual to a Westerner. Again, I knew what I was letting myself in for (please do your research on the correct etiquette) so I visited to both clean up and relax a bit before dinner. I found the staff to be very friendly and extremely helpful, with some on the front desk speaking prefect English if your Japanese falls a bit short. One day I had left quite early for the day and came back quite late and was addressed by name on my return to confirm my meal times, which was a nice surprise. Even though this wasn’t my first choice of hotel in Miyajima and it did take a little bit of adjustment regarding the whole ryokan experience, overall I had a great stay and had a suitably relaxing time. I would happily stay here again if given the option.

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“Welcomed us with a banner!”

Leading a group of 28, I stayed at Hotel Makoto for one night. We were welcomed with a special banner and given cold tea and towels on our arrival. Dinner was an exceptional Japanese feast with an incredible range of dishes. Rooms were splendid, Japanese tatami-style and there was another Japanese … more

Leading a group of 28, I stayed at Hotel Makoto for one night. We were welcomed with a special banner and given cold tea and towels on our arrival. Dinner was an exceptional Japanese feast with an incredible range of dishes. Rooms were splendid, Japanese tatami-style and there was another Japanese feast (which was perhaps a little too authentic for some consisting as it did of fish, rice and so on). When we checked out of the hotel they gave us small presents and met us at the ferry pier at our requested time with our luggage. I cannot possibly overstate how welcome they made us feel and how fabulous the service was.

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“Pleasant and convenient stay”

The hotel is a mix of ryokan and standard hotel. It is fairly large (probably 20-30+ rooms per floor), but our room was an extremely spacious traditional tatami room with a separate sitting area. The public bath was clean and reasonably large. The facilities are clean, but feel dated. Service wa… more

The hotel is a mix of ryokan and standard hotel. It is fairly large (probably 20-30+ rooms per floor), but our room was an extremely spacious traditional tatami room with a separate sitting area. The public bath was clean and reasonably large. The facilities are clean, but feel dated. Service was very friendly. Check in was fast and easy. They provided us with local maps & recommendations for sightseeing and locations of restaurants serving dinner and breakfast (extremely important since a school group staying at the hotel prevented us from eating there & most restaurants in town close at 5 pm). Someone would rush to front door to greet us every time we entered, which was very thoughtful. Not sure how good a value, cost just as much as a premium room in Hiroshima or Osaka.

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