Pros: service, amenities, Western and Japanese style rooms, food, location Cons: there is no elevator in this old Japanese building, so prepare to walk up stairs; the wifi reception in our room was not reliable We had an absolutely amazingly relaxing stay during our 3-day-2-night trip, enjoying the peace Tocen Goshobo had to offer, as well as their exceptional customer service. I searched high and low to finally find this ryokan with very specific amenities. Since my elderly parents had issues with getting up from the floor had we stayed in a traditional ryokan only, while I wanted to enjoy the full traditional ryokan experience, the Deluxe Suite with Private Hot Spring and Sauna was the perfect compromise for both our wants and needs. The Deluxe Suite has both two full sized western beds that were perfect for my parents, and the tatami sitting room that could be closed off for me to sleep in with my super comfy futon bedding. By no means is the room and experience itself a compromise, as my father kept calling it the ‘Presidential suite’ since it was on the top floor, and we had abundant space with our own onsen attached to the room! The room can fit 6 total guests, and has a secret playroom, a seating nook/area with perfect natural light, a dining room with regular table and chairs (in other ryokans, my tall Caucasian husband commented on how much he missed having actual chairs with space for your legs to stretch when seated), an office, a powder room, two bidet toilets rooms, a space to prepare tea with its own sink in the tatami room, and let’s not forget the massage chair. The room was clean, tastefully appointed, had everything we needed and plenty of space to either gather, or spend some ‘me time’. We opted for breakfast and dinner at the inn, which we looked forward to each day. The breakfast was pleasant and filling, while the kaiseki dinners were amazing. Kobe beef was featured as well as plenty of seafood both nights. We had a great time with our host, Yoshinori Tatebe-san, who tolerated my many questions of ‘what is this?’ or ‘how do we eat this?!’; his professionalism absolutely made our meals a tremendous delight! The location of the ryokan/onsen is ideal, walking distance to everything and right next to a bus stop. It’s in the heart of the Arima area, which has many temples, restaurants, and shops to explore. One cannot deny the outstanding customer service Tocen Goshobo’s team offers. Shout out to Hatsumi and Matsu at the front desk, making sure we were well taken care of, offering absolutely above and beyond service! When Hatsumi was helping me get settled on my first day arrival, I had asked her about the beautiful tokonoma (alcove) that was in the wa****su (tatami room). Unfortunately, I had asked so many questions she couldn’t quite answer me fully! A few days later, she showed me a note where she apparently took the time to think over my question and write it out in English so I would understand the importance of the a
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