Sinonomesou Kinosaki Onsen

It was clean and comfy. Onsen access was great too. Brilliant location and friendly staff - especially if you can only speak English.

How hot the bathroom was

The location was fantastic and it felt truly authentic. We received fresh Yukata together with towels and disposable toothbrushes each day.

The rooms do smell a bit damp but they have equipment in the rooms to help, the bath rooms need a bit of a refresh. The communication/assistance from the front desk is a bit lacking.

The room was very spacious we even had a separate bedroom that we only used for our luggage because we preferred sleeping on foutons in the tatami room. The service was super nice and the food included was a whole experience in itself.

Nothing really

The breakfast and dinner were really good and healthy. They serve you crab which this town is known for. The staff that brings your meal and makes your bed (yes there is no bed until bed time and they come make it in the floor) is really nice. Even they dont speak English they made an effort to understand me.

Having stayed at other ryokans in the area I can say The reception lady does not make any effort to make you feel welcomed. She does not inform there are baskets to take to onsens. She does not offer instructions on how to wear Yukata. She charges you 500 yen when checking out for a tax that I did not pay nowhere. The room smells very strong of old tatami (and maybe mold?) which I did not experience nowhere else. No effort to cover wall stains, not even with a painting. Is very old ryokan, could be charming and unique, but instead it is kept in a bad shape and spooky vibes.