5-Star Hotels in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan

I highly recommend this hotel for those seeking a quiet hot spring experience away from crowds. It is located a bit remotely from the city and surrounded by nature, which I absolutely love! Driving here is quite accessible. Since I planned to stay for more than one day, they provided a free pickup from the Kotohira JR Station, which is also very convenient. All the staff members are friendly and helpful. This low-density hotel has around 26 rooms, so it sells out very quickly, especially during peak season. There is a small gift shop, but I found everything I needed there. The room met my expectations, offering enough space with an outdoor deck and a private hot spring tub. I could hop into the hot spring tub anytime. If in the summer, I would be sitting on the outdoor deck to take in the views of the woods and nature, listening to the birds sing. The lotion provided is of very good quality; I use it every time I finish in the hot spring, as it smooths my skin. I should check if the gift shop sells it. The minibar is well-stocked with coffee and tea, and a 2-liter bottle of water was provided, along with a filtered water tap in the washroom. The public hot spring is spacious, allowing for plenty of privacy. One thing I wasn't sure about was that they provided us with a twin bed room. Since I was there with my husband, we expected a double bed room. We didn’t check with them about it because we decided to use the futon bed instead, which was surprisingly comfortable. I ended up sleeping even deeper than on a regular bed.  We were also confused about the futon bed setup requiring an extra charge, guess it was considered an extra bed. However, they arranged it for us without charging extra, which we really appreciated!  The dining experience was fantastic as well. There are different sessions in the restaurant, and they assign different tables for each meal, making it feel like dining in various restaurants. The service was very professional, with the staff explaining each dish to us. Even though one server covered two tables, I felt like they were serving us privately and gave us enough personal time. The restaurant closes after breakfast and before dinner, which gives you a great opportunity to explore the area during lunchtime. There are also delicious udon restaurants nearby. Just a heads up, though—I didn’t notice any room service available, so if you want snacks in your room, it’s a good idea to prepare your own. I am looking forward to staying in their other branches!

The room is spacious and comfortable, with wet and dry separation. It is rare that the hot spring hotel room is also equipped with a separate shower room. The hotel is relatively elegant overall, the hot springs are comfortable, and the banquet cuisine and buffet breakfast are also good.

Shuttle Service: When booking accommodations, there were only two ways to arrange a shuttle, and for some reason, my email only linked to a very old address I rarely use. My messages went unanswered. I also tried calling from other cities in Japan, but an automated Japanese voice service picked up. Thankfully, at JR Kotohira Station, there was an Information counter. A young, helpful service attendant who spoke simple English immediately called the hotel for me when she heard where I was staying. The car arrived in about 5 minutes. The shuttle driver, a slightly chubby young man with glasses, spoke excellent English. He was quite chatty and humorous, making the ride enjoyable. He also recommended a famous local udon restaurant and advised that climbing to the top of Konpira-san Shrine would take at least 2.5 hours (definitely allow more time if you want to look around carefully and take photos). Luggage Storage: We arrived at the hotel at 11 AM, dropped off our luggage, and headed straight for a meal before ascending Konpira-san. Upon returning to the hotel, our luggage had already been delivered directly to our room. Room: We booked a bit late, but for this price, in other major Japanese cities, you'd only get a quarter of the space. My friend commented that she could finally spread out her suitcase and organize her belongings. There was also a dressing room/vanity, though the lighting was a bit dim. In the evenings, we enjoyed tea on the balcony, which was a very pleasant spot to relax and enjoy the view. Our room offered a direct view of the hotel garden and pond, a wonderful experience. Restaurant: When booking, I chose the hotel's ”Sanuki Santoku” (Three Treasures of Sanuki) dining plan. The waiter escorted us to a table with a great view and explained each dish. The food was delicious, and I was absolutely stuffed (I have a small appetite). Most of the service staff appeared to be of Indian descent. Other Features: 1) I really loved the public lounge. In the evenings, the spacious design and soft lighting created a wonderful ambiance. It was very atmospheric to sit and slowly savor coffee/champagne (complimentary). 2) Our accommodation included one complimentary 45-minute private onsen session on the same floor as the lounge. It had a sofa and drinks, but only one shower stall, so if there were multiple people, we'd have to take turns. For me, the time was too short, and the water temperature wasn't as high as in the public bath. 3) The public bath had two pools. A smaller one outdoors, where the water was quite hot, and a sauna room, which was also very hot! I personally preferred the public bath.

I was surprised by how small the room was for a hot spring ryokan. With two suitcases, there was barely any room to walk. There was no Wi-Fi signal in the room, and the explanation given was that too many guests were using it simultaneously that night. Wi-Fi was only available in the hallway and lobby. Although the staff tried hard to resolve the issue, there was no solution, so we had to use our own mobile data (as an apology, they gave us a small souvenir when we checked out). Additionally, the 'one night, two meals' package... At over ¥2200, it was ¥1200 more expensive than just the room, but both dinner and breakfast were very mediocre. Compared to a hot spring ryokan I stayed at previously on Shodoshima (which wasn't great either, but at least the food was refined), the meals here were far inferior. There were only three small slices of sashimi, and there were even fish scales on the fish. For ¥1200, two people could have had many better dining options outside. The hot spring was decent, but nothing particularly impressive.

Great service in a large Japanese Tradional Onsen hotel. Minutes from the famous Kompira Shrine , room is spacious with great facilities, the outdoor Onsen is good but provide no views. Hotel has free car parking in an area some distance away, though shuttle are free.

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