Hotels near Tsugizakura-Oji, Tanabe

I was about to give bad reviews due to some poor check-in experience, but everything after check in is so good that compensates this journey. First, the check-in process that brings me with bad experience: it is self-served and there is no any staff. By rights you should receive an instruction email with check-in PIN in advance, which I heard from other guests. However, I didn’t receive anything but Trip’s confirmation letter and I was unable to check in. And my sim card in Japan is just an internet card unable to make phone calls, which means I have no way to contact the hotel directly. My partner and I were desperately locked out of the hotel in the evening, after 7h hiking, with no other available hotel in the mountain. After waiting for over 1 hour, other guests helped us to enter the admin room where there is an ipad to call the hotel (why not make it available to guests without checking in?), and with the help of Trip’s agency, we finally checked in successfully. Then here is the staying experience: so good that makes me almost forgive the poor check-in experience. Each room is a spacious individual house and ours has a garden for BBQ. The food is also self-served, with the cooking stuffs and ingredients in the fridge. It was unexpected that you need to cook yourself (I don’t think it was listed on room info when I booked it), but it’s not bad that Wagyu, chicken, and vegetables are served. The rooms are big and cozy, and you can do the laundry after hiking. Everything is good about the hotel itself, just be aware of the self-checkin process and make sure you get the instructions before that.

I went from Hyogo Prefecture, but it was past 18:30 when I got stuck in traffic and arrived. On the way, I called to say, ”It looks like I'm going to be late,” but when I was just a little bit away from the hotel, I received three calls from the hotel. I was driving on a winding road in the mountains, and there were cars behind me, so I couldn't answer the phone. When I arrived at the inn, the parking lot was full. was forced to stop the car. When I went to the front desk, there was a sullen man who didn't say ”Welcome” or ”Thank you for your hard work”, but said ”I called you many times”. ”On the way, I called to say I was going to be late because I got stuck in traffic,” I said. At this inn, the last meal seems to be at 18:30, and if it's later than that, it's troublesome, so they stick to 18:30. At the front desk, I listen to an explanation of the facility while carrying heavy luggage. I had stayed there half a year ago, so I asked him vaguely, wondering if it would be okay to leave it out. The man at the front ran after me. ”What is that attitude?” ”What is that attitude?” twice. I thought this person was crazy. ”What is your attitude?” I asked. ”People are explaining without even replying!” said the man. This person is the president of this inn, and his name is ○no. I said I didn't even reply, but I answered with words about meal times and whether or not the room was cleaned. He said, ”I called you many times.” I'm calling,” I said. ”I think you may be lost,” said Ono. When I said, ”I've been here half a year ago, so I'm not lost,” he replied, ”I don't know about that. I know about the customers who come often.” I've stayed twice in half a year, and I've stayed for two nights each time. Shame on you for not managing customer information. Even though I got stuck in traffic and took 5 hours to arrive, I didn't get a word of ”Welcome, thank you for your hard work.” It makes me sick when you ask me. If this person is in the service industry, he should think more from the customer's point of view. It's obvious that I was worried about the late cleaning of the meal. It is the service industry and hospitality industry that thinks from the customer's point of view without asserting your own ego. Why do you want to stand above your customers? When I said, ”You're disqualified for the hospitality business,” this person named Nono mumbled, ”You're disqualified for being a customer.” I was taken aback and laughed involuntarily. According to what I've heard, this person has a lot of complaints after all, and seems to be particularly arrogant when dealing with weaker opponents such as women and the elderly. Even when I checked out, if he saw me, he would sneak up on me and hide. This person is disqualified as a human being before being disqualified from the hospitality industry. I'm surprised that they're going to raise the price again even though the food and bath aren't a big deal. Well, I will never stay there again.

Excellent stay after Kumano Kodo hiking. Futon very comfortable. They helped in transporting lugages to room. Excellent, plenty, very tasty dinner, also breakfast. I forgot a fleece jacket, they contacted our travel agent in Athens to find me, they sent it next day to my Osaka hotel (with very reasonable courier cost). Fleece was nicely packed with a complimentary card included. Thank you for hospitality, very friendly personnel.

When I arrived at Watase Onsen after dark in the evening, despite the language barrier, the uncle at the front desk took the initiative to use the translation software to explain in detail the use of the hotel’s facilities and the opening hours of the hot springs. Let us move in as soon as possible.

I want to go around Kumano Sanzan without a car, and when I plan to travel to Kumano Kodo for a little, there is a transfer from JR Shirahama station, and I know this inn that I will pick up and drop off to Kumano Kodo for free I decided to stay. I was very helpful because I was worried about the bad access of Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine and how to get a small number of public buses. It was more than expected, but multiple family baths that were put without reservation. I was surprised by the luxury size. This inn often introduces a photograph of a large open-air bath, but I also entered once, but if you are a guest, the family bath is definitely recommended. However, the hot water is hot, so it may be severe in summer? The room should not expect luxury. There is an old but clean, so there is no complaint. The impression that the meal is usually delicious if you take the inn. I had a drink at night, but it was very cheap (it was twice the price at the inn the next day)

房間沒有燒熱水的，也沒有洗澡地方，入住的前台和房間不在一起，不是很好找，酒店有温泉，温泉還不錯

For a westerner this is a bit of an odd place. Its quite easy to list its deficiencies- there is no bar, no place to sit in the Sun and , I’m afraid to say, we did not find the food vey palatable. Elsewhere in Japan we have steered for the small local restaurants with no English menu - we’ve loved the food but not here. The best you can say about breakfast is that you can construct a bacon butty but as for dinner … well we had pot noodles in our room most nights. A question of taste I guess. Why 5 stars then? Firstly the staff are marvelous- went the extra marathon never mind a mile , simply the best. Secondly our Japanese style room high up above the river was fabulous with awesome views of the river and oodles of space. Even loved the futons. The outside onsen is a great place to chill, if that is the word for a hot spring even if you have to wear an item of clothing which is a cross between a kilt and a loin cloth and does little to cover your modesty. A memorable experience

By Japanese standards, room size is large and I love the sliding window doors that can open the room completely to nature. Also very nice that even though this hotel has several onsens, the room still has a shower tub, and Western (not Japanese) toilet. Dinner is sumptuous and the best hotel dinner I had in Japan. Hotel receptionist spoke English so can be extra helpful, like putting me on the free hotel shuttle to the start of a Kumano Kodo hike high up in the mountains.