Gyokuhokan

“More hotel than ryokan”

Not as beautiful as the website night time exteriors ( exquisite) but nonetheless a nice garden walk to the entrance of Gyokuhokan. You realise this is not a ryokan when you don't have to remove your shoes at the front door. In fact you can wear your shoes throughout the hotel. Beautifully designed… more

Not as beautiful as the website night time exteriors ( exquisite) but nonetheless a nice garden walk to the entrance of Gyokuhokan. You realise this is not a ryokan when you don't have to remove your shoes at the front door. In fact you can wear your shoes throughout the hotel. Beautifully designed rooms and restaurant - modern architecture at its best. The staff were friendly and helpful although their English was limited. I suppose not too many Western tourists frequent the place. We stayed 4 nights in a room which had its own private hot bath. The kaseiki dinners were fabulous - the chef worked overtime at presentation and flavours. Hard to enjoy a full -on Japanese breakfast though ( no Western option) which has many of the same ingredients as the dinner. We also reserved 2 different outdoor baths, on separate nights, which were nice but needed a bit more attention to the garden view. Small criticisms. Overall a very special stay.

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“Pure perfection”

Excellent Japanese-Style Hotel, not traditional Ryokan. Luxurious room with some traditional elements but equipped with standard beds. You can enjoy great private outdoor onsen. Dinner and breakfast are served in the restaurant and were fantastic, exquisite and unforgettable. Excellent traditional… more

Excellent Japanese-Style Hotel, not traditional Ryokan. Luxurious room with some traditional elements but equipped with standard beds. You can enjoy great private outdoor onsen. Dinner and breakfast are served in the restaurant and were fantastic, exquisite and unforgettable. Excellent traditional Japanese food with contemporary approach and good selection of sake to accompany the dinner. Located in a countryside, almost in a middle of nowhere. Perfect place to relax enjoying Japanese hospitality and perfect service.

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“simple stunning”

Not too far from Tokyo the coastal train journey to Kawazu is delightful. This is a unique place, we chose for the contemporary interiors by Shigeru Uchida. His japanese contemporary minimalism is so complimentary to the traditional ritual of onsen, and here the spirit extends beyond the decor to … more

Not too far from Tokyo the coastal train journey to Kawazu is delightful. This is a unique place, we chose for the contemporary interiors by Shigeru Uchida. His japanese contemporary minimalism is so complimentary to the traditional ritual of onsen, and here the spirit extends beyond the decor to the amazing new style japanese cuisine delicately prepared by chef Shinpei Tateishi. The staff friendly, efficient and unobtrusive, we feel refreshed and pampered by nature. I have nothing but praise for this small piece of paradise.

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“Great Japanese-Style Hotel”

Have stayed there twice at this hotel. Both of the stay were fantastic. Room: We stayed at a villa-style room. You can enjoy your own small cosmos as this room has a private outdoor onsen bath included. The interior was a modern Japanese style with beds, though the hotel itself has a history of ov… more

Have stayed there twice at this hotel. Both of the stay were fantastic. Room: We stayed at a villa-style room. You can enjoy your own small cosmos as this room has a private outdoor onsen bath included. The interior was a modern Japanese style with beds, though the hotel itself has a history of over 100 years. At the 1st stay, we were raided by an ants march on a heavy rainy day to the bath area - we had a rainy at the 2nd stay but there was no problem this time - the hotel seemed to have realised the issue & placed some pesticides around the facility. Dining: The stay included breakfast & dinner each day. Fantastic quality of food. The size was very generous (perhaps a little bit too much), so be sure to have small lunch. One of the reasons we chose to stay at this hotel for the 2nd time is their flexibility to the food served. My wife is a vegetarian (no meat, no fish), whilst it is very hard for the Japanese cusine to avoid the both, the hotel was very kind to make bespoke dishes for her. My only suggestion is that maybe the hotel could let the guests choose which style of breakfast to choose (i.e. Japanse or Western). As the taste & ingridents were very similar between dinner & breakfast, it turned out to be a bit repetitive after all. Service: The staff were exceptional - very attentive & efficient, a huge asset for the property. Others: The hotel is located in a neat small countryside, but this also means there is no much attraction around it. You may need a car to explore around Izu. Tips: Mini-bar water, green tea & even beers are complimentary, plus the juices near the hotel onsen bath is also free to the guests. Female guests can choose a yukata (Japanese colourful summer dress) of their taste for free.

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