Yamatoya Honten

The staff were so lovely and the hotel had lots of little nice touches that made it a pleasure to stay at. Dogo onsen was next door and the hotel provided towels and yukata to take. The room was quiet and peaceful. I didn’t dine at the hotel but enjoyed the free sake bar and there were lots of options for food nearby.

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The place exceeded expectations from the very beginning where you are greeted at the front entrance. The lobby is large with many tables and seats while waiting for the checkin process. The tatami room was clean and large with a great view of the mountain and Sakura trees. Before dinner a short walk down the hill takes you to Dogo Onsen and small shops. The Totoro shop was a fun place to visit. Then eating a small mochi stick with green tea added to the experience. There were many other snack shops but had to hold back to prepare for the big kaiseki dinner. The kaiseki dinner was beyond spectacular with intricate dish designs and wonderful taste. The Noh play during the meal added to the pleasant dining atmosphere. The Onsen was compact with both indoor and outdoor baths with reasonable temperature of around 43C. There was a small wooden bucket for washing was a nice touch instead of plastic buckets which is common at other places. Overall, this was the best ryokan I have stayed at. Highly recommended.

Very nice ryokan near shopping, tourist spots, and next to Dogo Onsen.