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Is it worth it? 2011/6/2 08:04
I will be travelling to Kyoto in early november and will be spending one night in Kinosaki. I have been told that the best ryokan is:

http://www.nishimuraya.ne.jp/honkan/english/index.html

My Wife and I will be staying there, so the price is for two people, and from what I can see, even in the most basic room, it will end up costing us over $1000 (australian dollars)

My question is - is it worth it?

its a lot of money, and i dont know if its worth that much or if we would be better off going somehwere cheaper and just as good or if it is that much because it is better then everywhere else?

Does anyone know?
by Seratone  

you 2011/6/2 13:24
I think you are the only one that can answer that question. Is it worth to you? For myself I wouldn't spend $1000 to spend the night anywhere. But that just me. It is a truely beautiful place, you would enjoy, no doubt. If it's fits into your budget for your trip, do it! But I don't think anybody else can answer if it's worth it to you.
by Daz88 rate this post as useful

it looks spectacular! 2011/6/2 14:06
yes, very special. I've stayed at Grand Hotel Arimoto at Miyajima, about $800 AUD per night per room, I generally think the food component would be worth $150 - 200ish per person so the room was costing $400, I would be happy to go back for that. The one you are looking at looks far nicer, IMO, much more traditional, I reckon be a devil and do it, you wont eat for 2 days afterward. I usually try to get the ryokans for around $250 per night per person max, but that is more because I cant handle so much food more than a day or two, and because we have 2 kids so it costs a bomb. I'm going to send that link to my missus, I reckon she will be very jealous.
by Pious (guest) rate this post as useful

. 2011/6/2 14:46
I can't speak for the experience of a fancy Ryokan, but I would definitely recommend going to Koyasan and staying in a Shukubo (temple lodgings). It was the highlight of our first trip, and the one we stayed at was about $350 Aus. I'd be more inclined to have a semi-fancy Kyoto night and fork out more for Koyasan, personally.
by Sal1980 rate this post as useful

Kinosaki Ryokan 2011/6/2 19:15
Hello there.
Firstly Kinosaki Onsen is a beautiful place and well worth a nights stay to experience onsen meguri - dress up in yukatta and stroll stopping in an onsen or two on the way. Enjoy the old style games shops and perhaps a cold beer.
Have you stayed in ryokan before and what levels of hotel do you usually look for?
If you are wanting to experience a nice and authentic ryokan stay in Kinosaki onsen, you don't necessarily need to spend that sort of money.
I have stayed at several ryokan in Kinosaki onsen ranging from around 14000pp-25000pp with breakfast and dinner. Most of these traditional ryokan don't have attached private bathroom, but you can use the onsen baths privately. There are of course toilets in the room!
InsideJapan Tours use several places on trips but the Mikuniya is one we used on tour.
Hope this helps?
by Jimbojapan rate this post as useful

... 2011/6/3 08:50
Hi Jimbo, in answer to your questions I havent stayed in a ryokan before. Our first time in japan we stayed at a guest house, which was very cheap but awesome. I dont have high standards when it comes to hotels, just something nice,but this is a one night thing and its for my honeymoon so i was something special. Money isnt the issue either. my question is, more specifically: is the price different between this place and other, slightly cheaper, places reflected in the quality of the ryokan (rooms, food, baths, etc)
by Seratone rate this post as useful

... 2011/6/3 09:32
Hi Jimbo, in answer to your questions I havent stayed in a ryokan before. Our first time in japan we stayed at a guest house, which was very cheap but awesome. I dont have high standards when it comes to hotels, just something nice,but this is a one night thing and its for my honeymoon so i was something special. Money isnt the issue either. my question is, more specifically: is the price different between this place and other, slightly cheaper, places reflected in the quality of the ryokan (rooms, food, baths, etc)
by Seratone rate this post as useful

... 2011/6/3 09:37
I agree with others that you are the only one who can say if it's worth it to you.

But just one thing - if you have not at all stayed in a Japanese real traditional "ryokan" type of accommodation before (I know that the word "ryokan" has come to be used also to refer to inexpensive Japanese-style hostels, but I am talking about the real traditional ones), maybe the first try does not have to that expensive, if the price is something that makes your eyebrows go up and makes you wonder.

I have stayed in Kinosaki, at another ryokan (the name escapes me) at a more affordable rate, and it was great too.

Personally (a Japanese resident in Japan), the range I go for is something like 15,000 - 20,000 yen max. per person. Nothing fancier than that. But I would one day like to stay in a real high-end ryokan with an in-room bathtub and all that :)

By the way I don't know how you reached the number AU$1,000 for the two of you?
by AK rate this post as useful

exchange rates... 2011/6/3 09:51
kill it, $1000AUD is about 80000JPY. I looked again, I love the architecture there and I'd pay a premium for that, problem is it looks like the menu is crab crab crab (probably why it is so expensive), I am not huge on crab so I wouldnt appreciate it as much. This coming trip I am staying at lalaca (around 15000 JPY per person) and Tanabe (with big bath in room, around 28000 JPY per person), ultimately I tend to have as much fun in the cheaper places as I do in the expensive, though my kids like to have a bathroom in their room.
by Pious (guest) rate this post as useful

unless I was wrong 2011/6/3 09:51
the way I read the website it was:

Standard room (1 room)
37,800/ person

therefore 75,600 for the two of us.

The currency convertor I used said that was just shy of $1000AUD, but now yahoo is saying $850ish

by Seratone rate this post as useful

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