3-Star Hotels in Toyooka

Love this quaint little ryokan at Kinosaki! The service is friendly although not much English is spoken there. Expect the staff to introduce you the amenities of the ryokan such as the free first-come -first-serve private onsen (there are a total of 4, but recommend the one named Hana because it's the newest and the nicest). The room itself is tiny but comfortable. There is no shower in the room, so would have to take the shower at the onsen or at the ryokan's own onsen. The room package came with kaiseki (we had the snow crab one) and it was delicious with pretty looking food. The blanket was thick and comfortable, perfect for the cold weather. There was not much view from our room.

The exterior looked old, but the interior was in good condition. The baths for men and women are changed depending on the day. When I went in at night, it was early and there weren't many people, so I went in slowly. The open-air bath only allows outside air to enter, but you cannot see the outside scenery at all. I took a different bath in the morning, but the open-air bath was under repair. It may be a little strange for people who place a lot of importance on the bath. You can also visit the outside baths, so it might be a good idea to enjoy the hot springs to your heart's content. I don't know. The view from the room was on the opposite side of the river, so I could only see the back of the building, but the four-person room was divided into a Western-style room on the first floor and a Japanese-style room on the second floor, so it was a relaxing stay. Dinner and breakfast were buffets, and there was quite a lot of variety. Since the restaurant was fully booked, more dishes were added one after another, so there was never a time when I couldn't get what I wanted. For dessert, there was also soft serve ice cream, which the kids were happy with. After deciding to stay at Kinosaki Onsen, I was torn between choosing a small ryokan, but in the end I think it was a good value for money.

When I mapped out our November-December 2023 trip to Japan last June, I chose west of Kansai region and the northwest along the Sea of Japan where Kansai Wide Area 5-day Pass and Sanyo/San’in Area 7-day Pass would cover. When I came across Kinosaki on the map, I thought this would be the first place to begin our journey of “off the beaten path” (this was my 10th trip to Japan, my desire to travel off the beaten path was obvious.) Since Kinosaki is an onsen town, it makes sense to choose a traditional ryokan with on-site onsen. I found Onishiya Suishoen’s official website very helpful. The photos are genuinely impressive. It has all I was looking for: daily 10-course Kaiseki dinner with premium choices of Matsuba crabs, Tajima beef and local delicacies, along with traditional Japanese breakfast, can be served in-room or in a private dining room; indoor/outdoor onsen; a quiet guest room for two, with private garden views; free shuttle from the JR Kinosaki station; an entertainment lounge; a public sitting lounge with views of scenic Japanese garden; away from the busy tourist center. A free day-stamped pass to use in town’s seven historical public onsens, valid per day from 14:00 to 15:00 the following day; a daily shuttle offers to and from main area of Kinosaki town, from 16:00 to 22:00. These are extra bonus offers to the guests. The guest car parking is available. We arrived at the Kinosaki JR Station on a rainy day. After exiting the station I found the sign of hotels free shuttle across the street just as I was informed at the time of booking. A local coordinator was waiting outside the station and started taking names of the arriving guests. I gave her our hotel’s name and after about 10-15 min waiting we boarded a van and headed to the local hotels. Interestedly, most of the guests in the van are foreigners like we, all got off the last stop. Upon checked in we were told to leave our luggage at the front lobby area. We then followed the hostess to the public lounge waiting for an assigned staff to accompany us to the room and to get familiar with what they have to offer during the stays. When I booked this ryokan I asked for a quiet room and surely our room is at the end of the first floor hallway. During our two-night stay we had a personal hostess named Chiba. She catered our needs for the entire stay, served two meals a days, prepared beddings and replenished in-room services for us. On the second night she noticed we were trying to stack several cushions over the leg-less chairs to improve the posture comforts. She asked if we would prefer regular chairs and a raised table. When we said yes, she quickly popped up the table legs and brought us two chairs. We were so pleased with her attention to details. She did her best in English, explained our daily meal options and introduced each serving plate and sources of the ingredients. She was a very good hostess for us. On the first night we had seafood Kaiseki dinner with premium selec

The location is mentioned to be about 5 or 7 minutes from the station, depending on where you read about it. I think it's more like 8-10. It's not far, but not close enough to walk luggage comfortably. I want to give the place 5 stars, but I also want to give it 2 stars. The service was good. They helped shuttle us around through the rain. The lady that served our dinner was very patient and helpful. Unfortunately, there is a big problem. The room we received has no view of the Maruyama river or garden, although it is advertised as such in pictures and descriptions on website. Our rooms had a view of the parking lot and the road, which the front desk referred to as a ”mountain” view. I'm sorry, but this just isn't a good practice. You MUST make this as a different type of room with different price and let customers decide the value. I would not have booked if I had known this. There is also another small problem. The dinner was overall quite good, but I saw some other customers received different dinners with the full snow crab and sake. We received part of a snow crab and cheap white wine. I am confused. It would help to have an explanation. Otherwise I can't help but feel these problems are because I am not a Japanese customer.

I particularly recommend Yamamotoya, set one berth for two meals, and set dinner for a big praise! During the Matsuba Crab season, the appetizers include crab feet and crab foot soup, which are super fresh, and sashimi and tempura at the back, but horses and beef are enough. Special Japanese-style room with garden view is recommended, which is three hundred more expensive than ordinary Japanese-style room, but the rooms are much larger and also have floor heating. There is a soup next to the hot spring hotel, which is very convenient. The hotel will give you a voucher for hot springs, but you pay the hot spring tax for leaving the hotel, 360 yen per person

First of all, the location was in the street lined up with souvenir shops, and I felt like a hot spring town. The building is old, but there was a feeling of cleanliness and there was no feeling of disgust. It was my first experience to eat meals at a private room restaurant, but it was a good feeling. The bath booked １ of the ２ rental bath, ”moon”. Family ３ It is reasonable to enter by person, and the time is ４５ minutes and it is satisfactory without being hurried. I was worried that the carpet was pulled, but I think I want a slipper. I'm worried about entering the room as it is with my feet walking through the corridor. Then my hair fell １ books on the dinner. I didn't touch the dishes, and I didn't like to feel disgusting with Nakai San to eat from now on, so I couldn't say anything.

The hotel is near to the train station, just 5 to 10 mins walk. The room was clean and tidy. Toilet seat, water basins, refrigerator, hot water boiling machine were provided. Staff prepared the Japanese beds for us in the evening. There were a sitting room, book reading areas, smoking room inthe.public area. Private session for private onsens were provided. A free of charge card for the seven hot springs and city bus was provided. The staff were nice and helpful. The environment was quiet and the beds were comfortable.

If you're thinking about staying at a ryokan in Kinosaki, this is the place to go. It's the smallest (in terms of the number of rooms offered) but the most highly coveted inn in the neighborhood, and for good reason. Kazuyuki-san and his family are the ultimate hospitality connoisseurs, genuinely passionate about providing the best experience for their visitors and sharing their culture. It truly felt like staying at a five-star hotel with meals comparable to Michelin-star dining, without any pretentiousness. Only a 4-5 minute easy stroll from the train station, Kojinmari is nestled among charming shops and onsens. This is extremely convenient for onsen hopping, shopping, and making day trips. It's also right across from a gorgeous canal. If you get a room with a direct view, you'll enjoy the sight of the mountains, koi fish swimming about, and locals crossing the bridge. The rooms are incredibly spacious for two people, and the entire building has been renovated with great care, reflecting a deep investment in customer comfort. The quality of the natural materials used in the rooms and furniture is evident, from the organic bedsheets to the design-centered furnishings. The space was incredibly comfortable, impeccably clean, and beautifully designed. Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed and offered the best matcha we've tasted in Japan, along with a red bean snack. Kazuyuki-san later delivered our luggage to the room and provided us with a clipboard of helpful information on dining and visiting sites. Of the seven onsens, he suggested the top three, which were spot on. Although we didn’t experience the dinner, the breakfast was a feast for both the eyes and the stomach, artfully prepared by the grandmother. Before discovering Kojinmari, I had considered other ryokans in the area due to high reviews and affordability. I'm so glad I didn't settle. Upon visiting a few of these highly-rated ryokans in person, the conditions, noise levels, and sheer number of foreign guests were overwhelming. Staying at Kojinmari was undoubtedly the most authentic and exceptional experience, service, and accommodation I have experienced in Japan. I cannot give this place enough stars. 10/10. Three things to note: 1) Be sure to bring cash, as you'll need to pay for the onsen pass or ”tax” for the seven onsens depending on how you booked. 2) We had no issues communicating with Kazuyuki-san in English, but be sure to have the Google Translate app ready just in case you'd like to have in-depth conversations. 3) The first floor of the inn is a shop that sources quality gift items from all over Japan. Most of the unique souvenirs can't be found at other shops, so if something catches your eye, get it!

Facility is old but front desk service was awesome despite having to use google translate to communicate in English.

We had a 'somehow' good stay at Tsukimotoya. Ryokan is at back lane, in middle of 7 onsens. The gentleman (owner) tried hard to please. The old lady helped us with the yukata n the futons. The front desk lady spoke minimum English with lukewarm feeling. Yes the room isn't much, there are some wear and tears. There are a few holes in the sliding wooden doors because guests were careless when they slide the doors. Toilet and washing basin are right at the back of our room. Shared Shower is separate on 1st floor which we didnt have a chance to use since we bathed at bath houses. Futons were comfortable. Aircon seem new and were able to warm up our room. We were given 1 set of green yukata to wear during our stay. The yukata set seem new too. They also gave us new towels n handy on 2nd day. The dinner was amazing. The presentation was beautiful ! There was so much food. We practically stuffed ourselves with Snow Crabs cuisine. When we thought we were done with dinner, they served us more food - pickles, rice, steak, chawamushi (steamed eggs) and fruit. It was a wonderful dinner. A great experience for us. Do note that breakfast is served at 8 or 8.30am. Dinner is served at 6 or 6.30pm. Our dinner took almost 2hrs! To justify the meal and understand what you are paying for, we had a tiny bowl at a restaurant in Kinosaki and it cost average YEN 2000 per person. So the dinner package we had - could easily cost Yen 12,000 per person. What I didnt like about the ryokan is that they gave us plastic bag to carry our towels to the bath houses. Most of other ryokans use a basket bag which was chic looking. They should really buy the basket bags! The living room also has a corner filled with random stuff n really that wasnt that pleasant. Maybe it is not a big deal for you.