Kotohira Grand Hotel Sakuranoshou

This was our first stay, and it was a wonderful place—thank you so much!Everyone who assisted us was very kind and welcoming, and we felt truly comfortable. The Room had been beautifully renovated, and the bath was very relaxing. Dinner featured excellent ingredients and seasoning in every dish, and breakfast offered a wide variety that we really enjoyed (including the Oiri soft-serve!).

It’s a bit inconvenient that the Accommodation is slightly off the approach path and requires stairs and a slope, but you can borrow clean canes and umbrellas for free. You can really feel how hard everyone—including international staff—works to provide great hospitality, which made me think the Hotel must have a good working environment. There weren’t many Asian guests. Amenities other than toothbrushes are in the lobby; I’d be happy if cotton swabs were also provided in the Room. The skincare products differ between the bath area and the Room—Sekkisei was a nice touch. Overall, the Hotel leans toward an SDGs-minded style (so it may not suit those looking for luxury), but instead they put effort into complimentary services like massage chairs and after-bath ice cream, which I appreciated. The items displayed in the bath waiting area are placed casually, but I wonder if they’re actually quite valuable.\nI wasn’t expecting much from a buffet-style meal, but it was great! There are local specialties like udon (of course) and ice cream, and it’s amazing for egg lovers. Personally, I recommend the chirashi sushi, miso soup, and unshaped hamburger steak patties. For the yukata sleeve clips/ties, it might be more noticeable if they were placed on each table or near where the chopsticks are set—I didn’t notice them even though it’s a great idea.\nThe assigned Room had restricted views due to “Room selection at check-in,” but I was satisfied because it was a good deal. They also responded well to my questions by email beforehand—this Accommodation made me want to stay again thanks to how kind all of the staff were.