Peter C
Google
This ryokan prides itself in the privacy, as there are only four guest rooms in the whole facility. Located in Atami, on top of a small hill, one needs to be careful driving here on your own, as you could easily miss the small road leading up the hill.||||Entering into the lobby area you would be amazed by the gorgeous view looking at the sea through the windows in the lobby, as well as the beautifully designed furniture and decor. In fact the ryokan and the rooms was designed by the famous Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.||||Finishing the registration we were shown to our rooms. All the rooms are having wonderful sea view. My parents were staying at Shozan (尚山), a western-style room while we chose Sawa (爽和), the only Japanese-style room among the four. Both rooms are on the second floor.||||The room is of 50 square metres in size, and the first thing that caught my attention was the curved cypress ceiling, subtly inserting a contemporary element using traditional material, and offering a nice cozy atmosphere with the lighting reflecting from the wood surface.||||Another great design element is the cushions on the hiroen, which served as a nice seat /bed for the guests to look outside and relax. There are some pillows which added to the comfort and again demonstrated how Kengo Kuma integrated the traditional Japanese room with modern features.||||The bathroom is showing yet another such example. Apart from the cypress bathtub which is commonly seen in a ryokan, the bathroom itself is fitted with marble and very western-style, with a shower room you would expect to see from a 5-star western hotel.||||There is only one public bath but it is under a reservation system, with each group allowed for 50 minutes per session. Upon check-in we booked for a slot before dinner, and at the appointed time the staff showed up to take us there.||||Walking down a flight of translucent staircase, and passing through the nicely designed water wall and an artificial pond with some sculpted ice-like decorations, the staff opened a wall-like door to lead us into the bath.||||I could not believe this is a bath intended just for one set of room guests, as the changing room is really spacious, and I guess originally they intended to accommodate all the guests without requiring booking. There are free drinks including beer and green tea in the fridge.||||But I was even more surprised by the sheer size of the bath. In all my previous experiences visiting good Japanese ryokan, I could say there are many public baths which are smaller than this one, and it is now only for the two of us! Definitely the largest bath for my private use in my experience so far.||||The bath is an indoor one, with glass windows surrounded to ward off the weather. However, if you want those can actually be opened to create an open bath environment. Not only that, there is also a sauna room to steam off your tiredness. A truly luxurious onsen experience.||||Feeling much refreshed we became hungry and fortunately it was around dinner time too. It was served at the dining room on the second floor. If you are staying the suite then you could enjoy the meal at the amazing 'Water Balcony' on the third floor.||||The Water Balcony is an oval-shaped room surrounded by glass and water, with a panoramic view of the Atami city and the Sagami Bay. It must be an unforgettable experience and I promised myself I would come again and stay in the suite next time to try it out.||||Having said that, the setting in the dining room is no bad at all. Dimly lit it was more reminiscent of a western restaurant, and the table and chairs also reminded me of such. The appetizers comprised of seven different beautifully rendered dishes which were great in taste and essentially a work of art.||||The dinner was truly wonderful, with the kaiseki showcasing seasonal local ingredients and I particularly like the Japanese Spanish Mackerel Rice cooked in traditional clay pot. Grilled perfectly with Japanese Peppers, added with plenty of Japanese Wild Parsley, it was really tasty and I could not help myself to finish two full bowls of them despite after all the food I had already eaten.||||After a comfortable and sweet sleep, we got up in the early morning to look at the beautiful sunrise in the room. It was such an amazing experience and was one of the most memorable thing I had ever experienced.||||I took another bath in the onsen before returning to the restaurant for breakfast. Another great feast which got us all energized. An interesting thing to note was that the sugar are molded to represent coffee beans, Mt. Fuji and tea leaves.||||The service was impeccable with everyone very friendly and trying their best to look after us during the stay. Even though the staff might not be very good in English, we could communicate without much difficulty.||||The total cost for our stay was 156,800 yen which in my opinion was quite reasonable. Although the amount might seem big, but considering the really exclusive privacy you can enjoy in the ryokan, the exquisite design and comfort of the room, the wonderful onsen and the great food plus service, and the amazing sunrise experience, it is definitely worth it.
