Nakanobo Zuien

Reply from the Facility

Thank you very much for your continued patronage. We also offer our sincerest apologies for the unpleasant experience you had with the rice served at the end of dinner. We are truly sorry that a guest who has trusted us for so long and visited us many times felt so disappointed that you “couldn’t continue after one bite.” This is deeply regrettable for all of us. ■ Improvements to Rice Quality Control At our inn, we serve carefully selected branded rice cooked to match each day’s operating hours, and we do not use old rice. However, we take your feedback very seriously and have immediately reviewed our quality control procedures at the time of service. 1) Improving warming conditions: To prevent deterioration from prolonged warming, we are reducing the amount cooked at one time and reviewing our rice cooker capacity (from a 2-sho cooker to a 1-sho cooker) to help maintain freshness. 2) Strengthening checks: In addition to checking when the rice is freshly cooked, our staff will thoroughly confirm just before serving that there are no issues with its warmed condition, aroma, or texture. ■ About Your Breakfast Choice We fully understand how you must have felt having to give up on the Japanese breakfast you were looking forward to and switching to a Western breakfast due to what happened at dinner. We are truly sorry that you were unable to fully enjoy your morning with us as intended. Your comment that you are “always satisfied” with everything other than the rice is some consolation. To earn back your trust, we will renew our commitment to serving delicious rice—fundamental to Japanese cuisine—in the best possible condition at all times. We sincerely hope this experience will not deter you from visiting us again, and that you will return to enjoy truly delicious rice. All of our staff look forward wholeheartedly to welcoming you back. Nakanobo Zuien Front Office Manager Tomohiko Naota

Reply from the Facility

We sincerely thank you for choosing our accommodation once again. While we are pleased to hear that you enjoyed the happy time at the lounge, we deeply apologize for falling short of your expectations in terms of service and consideration at the restaurant. We regret that confirming meal times and dish choices during check-in at the front lobby, instead of in your room as before, caused disappointment and lacked hospitality. We are committed to revisiting our approach to provide attentive service that reflects our establishment's values. Additionally, we deeply apologize for any discomfort caused by odors in the restaurant. Not only did this inconvenience you with a seat change, but it also hindered us from creating an environment where you could fully enjoy your meal. We take seriously your feedback regarding appetizers and sashimi not meeting previous standards and have shared this with our head chef and kitchen staff to ensure high-quality dishes that match our renewed facilities. Your comment about "lacking attentiveness" has been shared among all staff members as a reminder to improve hospitality quality from scratch so we can regain trust in our services. We would be grateful if given another opportunity to serve you better. Thank you very much for staying with us this time as well. Please take care during these times. Sincerely, Tomohiko Naota Front Manager Nakanobo Zuien

Reply from the Facility

Thank you very much for staying with us recently. We deeply appreciate your continued patronage and are truly grateful that this was your third visit to our accommodation. However, we sincerely apologize that this stay did not meet the level of comfort and satisfaction you experienced during your previous visits, which should have deepened with each stay. Firstly, regarding the facility in your room, we regret that the heating was insufficient and there was no hot water in the bathroom sink. This lack of basic maintenance caused significant inconvenience and discomfort. We will promptly conduct inspections and repairs to ensure a comfortable environment for all our guests moving forward. Additionally, we apologize for not meeting your expectations with our cuisine. Your feedback about lacking an initial "wow" moment when dishes were served has been shared with our kitchen team and taken seriously. Furthermore, we were particularly moved by your comment: "It’s better to raise accommodation fees than lower food quality," as well as "Guests coming to Zui-en are not looking for a cheap accommodation." These words made us reflect deeply on what is most important to uphold at our establishment amidst challenges such as rising ingredient costs. We are sincerely grateful for reminding us that it is “quality,” not “price,” that must be preserved above all else. As you rightly pointed out, providing quality and experiences so exceptional that guests feel they want to return—regardless of cost—is indeed our mission at this accommodation. We will take your valuable advice seriously without making compromises and continue striving toward true value. Despite these shortcomings during this visit, we are humbled by your kind words: "I’ll come again" and "For Arima trips, it’s always Zui-en." Additionally, knowing you plan to visit next summer with your grandchild at our sister hotel Arima Grand Hotel fills us with gratitude; all members of our group eagerly await welcoming you. When we have the pleasure of hosting you next time—whether here or at one of our sister accommodations—we will ensure both facilities and cuisine exceed expectations so you'll say once again: “This is truly Zui-en.” Thank you once more for sharing such invaluable feedback. Sincerely, Tomohiko Naota Front Manager Nakanobo Zuien