The worst price to value ratio ever! We have stayed at several ryokans in the past, so are no strangers to the concept or pricing. Given the price we paid, we were totally taken aback at the rundown condition of this hotel. It should be rated 2 stars.
It is located on a busy street near the world heritage site, with the river on the back side. The exterior is unattractive and in dire need of a paint job. The lobby is equally depressing, with a large kitchy gift shop and a tiny check-in desk. The entire property is severely dated and in need of a major renovation. Our room had water stains on the walls. There wasn’t a proper shower, just a plastic hand held in the middle of a room where the tub was (which was not a hot spring tub).
We love Japanese food and trying new things, but both the breakfast and dinner were horrible.
On the positive side, it was nice hearing the rushing river from our window, and they picked us up at the train station on time as arranged.
However, the overall experience was so bad that we wanted to cancel our second night with a refund, and after several back-and-forth’s with the manager he graciously allowed this.