Kikuya Ryokan

After checking in, my husband took a relaxing bath in the room, while I walked to the maple forest to see the autumn leaves. I was exhausted after walking quite a bit, so when I returned to the inn, the young staff outside hurriedly greeted me as I passed by. After that, as I was taking off my shoes and about to go up, an older staff member called out to me from behind, "Which room are you staying in?" I was alone, so maybe they thought I was suspicious...? I was tired, so I was a little annoyed. For dinner, they said the sashimi was yellowtail, but what was served looked like sea bream. I wish the young staff had been a little more responsible, as they were only working part-time during the busy season. However, I thought the private rooms at dinner time, the atmosphere of the historic building, and the room I stayed in were lovely.

We stayed at Yukairo Kikuya, a long-established inn in Shuzenji Onsen. The entrance to Yukairo is along the road that runs along the north side of the Katsura River. Entering from the entrance, there is a lobby where we were given a welcome drink and went through the check-in procedure. This lobby is directly above the Katsura River. In other words, the bridge over the Katsura River itself is the lobby. It was a lovely retro space. Although it is a long-established inn, the old building has been renovated, and our room was called the "New Building Kaze no Kataribe" and was a Japanese-Western style room with a separate bedroom. It had a private lounge and was alcohol-free, so it was a great room for those who like alcohol. As the name "Yukairo" suggests, the several baths were connected by a corridor, and there were ample public spaces such as rest areas along the way. The kaiseki dinner was a "Shugaku Kaiseki" style where you can choose from several dishes, so my husband and I each ordered a different dish, and it was nice to be able to enjoy each dish with both our eyes and our mouths. I was able to fully experience the relaxation that only a long-established inn can provide.

Located near the downstream of the Katsura River, the hotel straddled both sides of the river. It is a historical building built nearly a hundred years ago with several phases of expansion. Check in was smooth though it took a while to finish. We went into our room and found it is one of the largest rooms we have ever stayed in Japan. The room was in fact a suite with separate bedroom and living room, and an additional sitting area, toilet and bathroom. My view was facing the hillside with lots of green. It was really an old house and it sounds when you are walking on the wooden floor. The hotel is quite big, with a restaurant, 2 public baths, one oudoor and and indoor, and 4 private baths, a bridge inside the hotel, a souvenir shop, a coffee room and many rest area. Free afternoon snacks and late night noodle is provided to guests. Japanese style dinner and breakfast was served. The quality and portion were both very good, and service was of course outstanding. I particularly like the option of soba in addition to white rice. Another excellent offer of the hotel is teh check out time of 12 noon. I have never stayed in a onsen hotel with check out time of 12, it gives you enough time to enjoy the hotel facilities.