The staff were great. The set meals were very good breakfast and dinner. a mix of Japamese and some western.. The room was traditional Japanese with futons . It was a good sized room and comfortable. The location fabulous.overlooking the river. The hot springs were great by the river bubbling up through the rocks.Ther hotel supplied maps and a shuttle bus to the beginingng of on spectacular and manageable 7km of Kumano trail. There were also regular local buses from Hongu to hotel .The hotel also ran a shuttle bus from Hongu to hotel at set times if you rang them. A great 2 days. Diane and Phil Australia

The location is fantastic. Relaxed atmosphere and views towards the river in front of the building and the green ‚wall‘ of forest just behind. Overall, staff was super friendly and helpful. Many of the Kii World Heritage sites are close and easy to access by car.

The facilities, procedures and atmosphere feel a bit like ‚stuck in the 1990s‘. The building would benefit from a general renovation. There are stains everywhere on the floors and wall (room and public areas). Also small things like tableware in the dining hall can be nowadays much more ‚contemporary‘ and modern in similar Japanese hotels. Also, I felt that some kind of ‚patron‘ is missing to welcome guests, have an eye on everything, add some heart to the operations.

This was our first onsen experience and first time having totally Japanese style sleep accommodation and meals. It was overall a positive experience. Very different than Western style and we wanted that experience. The staff was very helpful and accommodating when needed.

Not the fault of the hotel but sleep on a traditional futon flat on tatami mats and a hard floor was tough for us. It helped to double-futon layers! If you like your bed soft, opt for a western style room. Traditional Japanese meals were beautifully and graciously served. However, fish of all kinds dominate the cuisine - both cooked and raw. If you don’t fancy fish, a “western” meal is a better choice.

Located just across the river with hot spring. You could soak your feet in the river water. The hotel provide slipper for the river walk. Food were yummy. Places of interest like the Kumano Honggu walk are within a 10 mins car drive to the mid starting point. You could follow the hotel shuttle bus to the car park and then the bus will fetch you to the starting point where you hike your way back to where you park your car. The walk is about 7km.

We had a room with a private onsen which was great - really modern and with an amazing view of the forest. Some reviews here mention the hotel being a bit outdated - possibly the reception areas, but the room itself was great and amazing value for a private onsen - I couldn't find an equivalent in the area for anywhere near this price. We found it to be really peaceful, and while there is a quiet road running in front of the hotel, we couldn't see it from our balcony. It's a very convenient location for Yunomine onsen, and the hotel shuttle took us for free to Hossihinmon-oji for hiking which was very helpful. Food was varied and generous. A good value way to have the Ryoken experience with a modern western room.

The reception areas might be a bit more modern, but for the price and location the hotel was great.

The lady serving the breakfast and dinner is very nice and helpful.

The supply of towels and yukata are too limited. Only 1 large, 1 small towel and one yukata are provided each day. Even worse, no towel is available inside the onsen room. We need to reuse the same towel and yukata after each onsen dip during the day.

My favourite stay of our Kumano Kodo hike so far! A lovely traditional onsen hotel right by the river and bus stop - super convenient. The rooms are really spacious even for four to a room and it has beautiful views of the river. We loved both the river and indoor open and indoor closed onsens and the hotel provided all the amenities we needed. Staff was extremely thoughtful and we really appreciated our waiter (didn't catch his name) and the check in staff Tin Tin for being so helpful. Not sure why there are so many negative reviews about the food but we found it all to be quite palatable and thoughtful - there is kaiseki style dinner and a wonderful local spread for breakfast.

Can't think of anything

It's a very nice hotel facing the river. Good location. Bus stops right outside. It's quiet and clean. Facilities are alright. Nice hot bath with a view. We had asked for 2 vegetarian meals. They had said they couldn't serve, but for breakfast made an effort to prepare a vegetarian meal from their menu items. It was really appreciated. Staff was good. All in all a comfortable stay.

Meals include raw meat which we couldn't eat and cooked in rice water. Would have liked coffee and regular tea in the rooms. Only Japanese tea was available.

very nice ryokan! booked it mostly for the private in-room bath, which was the greatest decision every after walking the Kumano Kodo. the staff met us at the door and was very welcoming. all meals (traditional Japanese food) were excellent and the lady serving us was so friendly, despite language barrier. very good proximity to hot spring river where you can dig your own bath.

its an older establishment and there are some aspects that show its age, but nothing that affected comfort or our stay.

the quality of the food was amazing - the variety of foods was top class - the three types of onsen were very enjoyable. I particularly liked the outdoor onsen - the staff who helped us catch buses were very helpful- the location right on the bus route and right on the river with the hot springs was wonderful.

I was surprised not to be offered a choice of meals. I like Japanese food but I would have liked an English translation of the meal I was presented with so I knew what I was eating.