Hotel Hanakoyado

A really nice guesthouse, highly recommended! It's located right in the heart of Arima's main shopping street. Turn right from the guesthouse and you're on the shopping street, turn left and there's a shrine – super convenient! The guesthouse has two private onsen baths. "Private" means couples can enjoy them together, and once you lock the door, no one will disturb you. We booked the 'one night, two meals' plan, and both breakfast and dinner were excellent. The room size isn't small by Japanese standards, but do note that it only has a toilet, no shower. So, for showering, you'll need to use the private onsen facility. Honestly, after staying there, I didn't find it inconvenient at all!

This was my second time staying here. My first visit, two years ago, was absolutely wonderful, which is why I specifically went out of my way to come back for another experience. Unfortunately, I left feeling a bit disappointed this time. There were so many people checking in, and it seemed like the hotel wasn't prepared to handle the crowd, leading to us standing and waiting for a long time. It was a stark contrast to the enthusiastic service I received last time. The lady who helped us this time clearly wasn't very familiar with the procedures, and her English wasn't great, making communication a bit tiring. I really miss the girl who helped me check in two years ago; she was fantastic, spoke excellent English, and handled everything perfectly. All in all, this visit was a bit of a letdown. Everything else was fine though; the room was spacious, and the surroundings were beautiful, especially with the cherry blossoms in full bloom nearby.

As a loyal fan of Hana Koyado, I brought my mom here again! This time, we got a Western-style room with beds suitable for seniors. We first went to the large public bath outside, then enjoyed the private onsen again in the evening. Dinner, as always, was a full-on ceremonial experience. My absolute favorite has to be the charcoal-grilled sashimi – my mom was so impressed by the rich ceremony! Since I frequently visit hot springs, I can confidently say that Arima Onsen's mineral content is truly exceptional. After soaking, you feel warm for a long time, which is incredibly beneficial for women!

A cozy ryokan with two private onsens, and they also provide access to a public onsen at a friendly ryokan next door. They provide yukata, but you're not allowed to wear them outside your room, including in the restaurant. For the kaiseki dinner, they serve a choice of chicken or wagyu (they don't inform you of the choice upfront, they just ask if chicken is okay, and if you say yes, you'll only find out about wagyu when you see other guests at the next table with it). Breakfast is traditional Japanese; everything is delicious, but it might not be to your liking if you're not a fan of Japanese food.

Not a bad ryokan. The rooms are large and cozy, with comfortable beds and pillows. Inside the ryokan, there are two small private onsens. They're a bit worn out. You can also access the public onsen for free, which we actually preferred. We skipped the kaiseki dinner and just had breakfast. It was a pretty tasty and filling traditional breakfast.

This was a cozy hotel that really captured that clean, vintage Japanese vibe. The parking lot was a bit of a trek from the hotel, and after parking, we had to take a shuttle back. There was a bit of a communication issue, so we fumbled around a bit trying to figure it out. The breakfast was pretty basic, nothing to write home about, just a simple morning meal.

A small yet exquisite hot spring inn, with a more retro style but very clean.

The private onsen was super convenient, and the room itself was very spacious. There was even a charming little garden right outside the door, perfect for photos! Breakfast was a set menu and quite substantial.

The staff were incredibly friendly. I accidentally left something behind, and they kindly responded to my inquiries and even sent it back to me by mail, which I really appreciated.