Araya Totoan

My wife and I had an outstanding one-night stay at Araya Totoan that ended up being the highlight of our entire honeymoon trip in Japan. From start to finish the entire stay was exceptional. Our room was pristine (as was the entire property), spacious, comfortable, and our private open-air bath was delightful. We even scheduled private massages in our room which were the perfect way to kick off our stay. The food was very good and fresh. Our kaiseki dinner was delicious (with lots of unique flavors and a TON of food), and the wine list was very good and featured an excellent selection of Burgundy and Bordeaux. We opted for the western style breakfast which was also very good and featured some of the best croissants I’ve ever had. But what really made our stay so memorable was the service and the staff. The service was truly the best we’ve ever experienced, and each staff member took pride in making our stay so enjoyable. It has only been a few days since our stay, yet we are already dreaming about someday returning. It was seriously that special. Run - don’t walk - towards a stay at Araya Totoan! You won’t regret it.

Pros Location Service Great meals Bath Cons Priced little high Small boutique ryokans, not many rooms available We had a great stay at this ryokan, 17 generations in ryokan business. If anything, we would like to have some zabuton cushions in the room, but it was perfect ryokan.

Araya Totoan beautifully showcases traditional Japanese hospitality. The in-room hot spring was a highlight. The room itself was spacious and meticulously maintained. ​Rosanjin's artworks added flavor to the decoration. There is a small exhibition in the hotel on Rosanji's works too. ||||Dinner was a culinary delight, with the crab dishes standing out as particularly exquisite. The freshness and preparation of each course highlighted the region's rich culinary heritage. ​The staff were terrific, ensuring that every aspect of my stay was attended to with warmth and precision. ||||One minor observation was that at places where flower arrangements are expected, the hotel appears to have decided not to place them. The room and the public space could use more flowers.

The place is well kept and has character, the lady who runs it is very kind and attentive.|We liked the location, if you want peace and quiet. The hot springs experience is very pleasant. Our rooms were spacious and had amazing attention to details.|Kaiseki and breakfast were served in a private room.|Food the second night was much better than the first night, (I had some problems the first night). I was given a lovely continental breakfast, or if you want you can have Japanese breakfast. Lovely place! I would go back.

Our itinerary planner, Scott Gilman, of JapanQuest Journeys booked us in this ryokan for 2 nights during our private tour of the interior of Japan. Experiencing this unique Japanese experience was so lovely. Our room was huge and we had our own private open air bath fed by a mineral spring. The futons were very comfortable. At 76 and 91 sleeping on the floor would have been difficult. The attention to beautiful Japanese detail and service made for lovely meals and, when we asked for “Western Breakfast” on day 2, it was provided happily so we didn’t have to waste food that was not to our liking. Here, in the land of tea, the lattes from the Nespresso machine were wonderful. Even more special was the tour of the magnificent renovated quarters where the Imperial family stayed long ago conducted by the senior member of the family who has run this inn for generations. We were treated as friends and honored guests. We so highly recommend two things…have Scott plan your Japanese holiday and have him book you at this beautiful historic and serene ryokan.

Had a wonderful 2 nights stay at Araya Totoan. Spacious Tatami-style living & bedroom with private onsen. The ryokan offers three distinct public onsens each with its own unique vibes. The food was another highlight of our stay. Every dish was beautifully presented and bursting with flavours. What truly set our experience apart was the impeccable service. A special shoutout to Ms Miho who went above and beyond to make our stay comfortable. She was professional, attentive and even took the time to check out the train schedule for us. I accidentally left my bag in the dining room and she kindly returned it to our room. Her kindness & attention to detail truly made a difference.

Very prestigious ryokan inn in front of the main site in Yamashiro! Both guests and staff (esp Okami) are very authentic, with wonderful Kitaoji Rosanjin masterpieces!

Amazing service and a great natural hit water bath area. Private natural baths in rooms too. Food may be a bit challenging if you’re not used to kaiseki Japanese cuisine. Also English is not spoken much by the staff. Nevertheless it’s an amazing experience.