Yaeikan

“Ignore negative reviews - this was one of our best stays”

Okay just ignore the negative reviews and come stay at this beautiful ryokan. The level of service was incredible, everyone was so friendly and helpful, the food was meticulously thought through and delicious, and the room we had was stunning, spacious and exceptionally comfortable! I am sure t… more

Okay just ignore the negative reviews and come stay at this beautiful ryokan. The level of service was incredible, everyone was so friendly and helpful, the food was meticulously thought through and delicious, and the room we had was stunning, spacious and exceptionally comfortable! I am sure the negative comments are from people who do not appreciate nature and traditional design and are looking for western comforts. This was one of our best stays and we’d recommend in a heartbeat. Thank you especially to the trainee member of staff who served us our dinner and breakfast, we felt very well looked after!!

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“Older facilities but impeccable service”

If you're looking for shiny new facilities, have mobility issues, or any kind of food restrictions, this place is not a good choice for you. It's a bit worn around the edges, there are a ton of short flights of stairs, and yes, you will be eating and sleeping on the floor (with perfectly comfortabl… more

If you're looking for shiny new facilities, have mobility issues, or any kind of food restrictions, this place is not a good choice for you. It's a bit worn around the edges, there are a ton of short flights of stairs, and yes, you will be eating and sleeping on the floor (with perfectly comfortable futons and cushions). However, we found it to be charming, comfortable, and clean. We had a pretty view of the courtyard with a bit of the mountains over the roof. We didn't have an in-room onsen; we liked the shared ones just fine. (One has an outdoor section open to the sky, one has a little waterfall.) For the most part, we even had the shared onsen to ourselves. Location is an easy walk from the train station. It's also a short walk to a very pretty waterfall. The food is exquisite, if you're an adventurous eater. Yes, it will involve a ton of raw seafood, as well as textures Western palates aren't as accustomed to. But each tiny dish is perfectly prepared and beautifully presented. There were a couple we didn't care for, but there was more than enough food that we could leave the few bites here and there we didn't want without going hungry. We had a lovely time.

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“Wonderful hospitality and a memorable experience”

I was a bit worried after seeing some bad reviews about this place, but my partner and I had a lovely time here. It is an old building, but that's part of the aesthetic and ambience. We were looking for a traditional Japanese ryokan experience, an onsen bath inside the room, and the experience of… more

I was a bit worried after seeing some bad reviews about this place, but my partner and I had a lovely time here. It is an old building, but that's part of the aesthetic and ambience. We were looking for a traditional Japanese ryokan experience, an onsen bath inside the room, and the experience of having the food served inside the room, all of which we got here. The suite was very spacious which was a nice change after staying in a much smaller place in Tokyo. The yukatas were super comfy and fun to experience. The bath inside the room was the highlight, as well as the aromatherapy massages that we got which were done inside the room as well. We were able to get the massages side by side at the same time, and they brought a little speaker to play ambient music, which all made for a magical experience in the traditional tatami room with the sound of the onsen running in the background. The futons were really comfortable. The next day we left feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. All the staff we encountered were very kind and accommodating, and they do have some English speaking staff. We were able to leave our luggage there while we explored when we arrived early and the next morning after we checked out before we had to catch our train. The cons: The onsen bath in our room was SUPER hot. This isn't really a con except for that the weather was exceptionally warm this October and we could only soak for a few minutes at a time before needing to cool off. I would recommend coming when the weather is cooler. Despite specifying that I was pescatatian, they still served me beef. I also asked about vegetarian options for the meals and they didn't have any. My partner enjoyed the meals but I struggled with some of the dishes. It was beautifully presented but I wouldn't recommend it if you're not used to traditional Japanese food or a picky eater/not adventurous with meals/have dietary restrictions. There were several little things that could use attention. None of these were a big deal but if they were able to get them spruced up I think it would go a long way to making the place feel less worn out. Examples include the privacy screen for our bath which had rips in it, little nooks and crannys that were dusty and could use a deep clean, the fact that the main dining table was quite worn, etc. This being said, we had a wonderful time experiencing this ryokan and big kudos to the staff for great service and being so welcoming. The place really does have a special nostolgic charm to it.

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“Authentic experience”

We booked this ryokan for the traditional aspects for the one night. I wouldn't recommend a longer stay. We booked a family room with private onsen. The room was large with a.priavte bedroom as well as open eating/ sleeping space. Good points: the onsen was lovely. It is very warm but to be expec… more

We booked this ryokan for the traditional aspects for the one night. I wouldn't recommend a longer stay. We booked a family room with private onsen. The room was large with a.priavte bedroom as well as open eating/ sleeping space. Good points: the onsen was lovely. It is very warm but to be expected. Its on the small side - we couldn't all use it at the same time. We also got 30 mins in the private onsen which was larger. We didn't try the male and female onsens but presume they were larger. The staff on arrival were very friendly. The lady who served our evening meal and breakfast was also lovely. She couldn't speak English which is fair enough but particularly at breakfast we had to guess what some of the dishes were. The evening meal came with a description. The whole place has a very authentic feel and I am glad we made the effort to come here and experience it. The town of Yumoto is lovely, think English Cotswolds but with crazy temperature! The ryokan is close walking distance from the station. The AC in the main room was tremendous. Not so good: the place is a bit tired and some areas could do with a good scrub although we didn't notice a moldy smell. There is no sink in the toilet. The toilet smells of urine, but we have noticed this with a lot of the toilets. The food was a challenge. If you're adventurous and want to try traditional Jaapanese food prepared with attention to detail this is for you. If you're picky or not keen on raw pork/ shellfish (big no nos in the UK) then this isn't for you. Would have liked a better view or access to the garden we were looking out over the building which was a scheme. The person making the bed in the evening was not over friendly and wouldn't allow us the sleeping arrangement we preferred. Not the end of the world, we sorted ourselves out, but given the price point would hope for more accommodating responses to reasonable requests. The futons were thin and stained and pretty uncomfortable for me. The duvet was cosy. Overall an OK night's sleep. All in all great to experience this authentic option but if I was to return would probably opt for a newer facility, cheaper and more sleep comfort.

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