KI-NRT
Google
We chose to stay at Teien No Yado Sekitei (the ryokan's official and full name) due to our desire to stay at a smaller property (what with COVID and all), and at a place that was between Hiroshima and Iwakuni. Location wise, it fit the bill for us, although I'd imagine most Hiroshima tourists would prefer to be closer to the city center (it's about 40 minutes by car from the A-Bomb Dome.) It is not far from the Miyajima Ferry port, however, but even then, I'd still recommend you stay in Miyajima itself if you have the time to do so.||||In any case, Sekitei is about as luxurious and intimate as it gets when it comes to ryokans in the Greater Hiroshima area. However, there are some shortcomings that prevent it from being rated higher (at least by me.)||||First, the positives - the food is simply wonderful. The full-blown Kaiseki fare is extravagant, unique, and takes advantage of the local ingredients, especially from the Setouchi Inland Sea and various wild mountain vegetables. For instance, there's a Japanese Mugwort (vegetable) that's delectable when fried, tempura style, and it was served with Mugwort-Buckwheat Soba Noodles, which were absolutely delightful. Also, Conger Eel is a specialty of the region, and they did a masterful job in preparing it in a few different ways that gave a different perspective on the texture and flavor of Conger Eel. The dishes were fresh, uniquely and creatively prepared, and were served lavishly in very nice pots, bowls, cups, lacquerware, ceramics and baskets made by local artisans. You can tell that Sekitei pulls out all the stops in an attempt to make the meals there a memorable one. Another big bonus - you get your dinner (but not breakfast) served in the comfort of your own room, which is huge for us. Breakfast was similarly a grand affair. The sheer variety of small dishes, as well as the creativity of each of them, was definitely up there with the best of them. We really enjoyed the Rice Porridge with (unsweetened) Azuki Red Beans, which was a wonderful combination! Sekitei definitely didn't cut corners when it came to providing an awesome Washoku breakfast spread. You won't walk away disappointed.||||As others have mentioned, the property grounds are pretty, especially the inner garden that has expansive views of the Setouchi Inland Sea and Miyajima beyond - it's quite hypnotic, really. And for those looking for a more traditional Japanese ryokan, Sekitei's architecture, art and furnishings won't leave you wanting. The downside of this (as is the case with many "heritage"-style ryokans) is that it comes at the expense of some amenities that we've all come to expect. Namely, the internet was non-existent to slow. Our room, incorrectly spelled "Oimatu" (should be Oimatsu (老松)), had no connectivity at all. Square footage wise, Oimatsu was decent - it's just that there are so many segregated areas with various little nooks & crannies that it made the room feel more claustrophobic than it otherwise should be. There's a den area with views of the garden that's separate from the living room with the same views - these two rooms should be combined into a bigger, more spacious living area. And then there's a small "library" with a small desk and chair - it adds to the charm and character of the room, but functionality speaking, it's quite useless. And while our room (some rooms have it, others don't) had an Onsen hot springs bath, it's not of the free-flowing variety. In other words, you have to fill the tub with the Onsen by turning the tap each time, and it takes 20+ minutes for it to fill up. Then, assuming the temperature of the bath isn't quite to your liking (chance are that it'll be too hot), you'll have to turn the cold water knob to regulate the temperature. This further adds to the prep time, and also dilutes the purity of the Onsen, since the cold water is not Onsen spring water. Perhaps it's a non-issue for most travellers, but for those going specifically for in-room Onsen fun, I wouldn't recommend Sekitei to be the only place you go to experience it.||||The room seems to be getting up there in age, and to combat this, they need to do a more thorough job of cleaning the rooms. While not dirty, we did notice some dust and grime build-up in various area. And we even noticed some dead skin in the bath after filling it up with Onsen - it definitely grossed-out Mrs. KI-NRT. We did bring this matter to the attention of Sekitei's staff; hopefully they took our feedback to heart.||||Since we didn't use Sekitei as a place to lounge around all day (it was a convenient place to overnight on the way from Iwakuni to Hiroshima), and the meals were excellent, Sekitei did serve its purpose. But we wouldn't think about staying more than one night here, nor would we consider this to be a "destination" ryokan in its own right.
