Kotohira Kadan in Kotohira

The vibe is superior, the location is good. The service is very friendly and the food is amazing!

A
Good and difficult to book, the food was good and service was good too.

Location is 10mins walk from busy street on a small slope, if not requesting pick up from train station, walking there seems a bit far away.
The atmosphere was quite dark in general, some of the places seems dated but overall a classic onsen hotel and staffs were attentive.
Not much amenities provided, just water in room and rest in fridge need to be charged as well as it's private onsen, which compared to the previous onsen hotel I stayed seems not too appealing.

Beautiful garden, good service, but small onsen. Overall, it is nice to try.

Shuttle Service: When booking accommodations, there were only two ways to arrange a shuttle, and for some reason, my email only linked to a very old address I rarely use. My messages went unanswered. I also tried calling from other cities in Japan, but an automated Japanese voice service picked up. Thankfully, at JR Kotohira Station, there was an Information counter. A young, helpful service attendant who spoke simple English immediately called the hotel for me when she heard where I was staying. The car arrived in about 5 minutes. The shuttle driver, a slightly chubby young man with glasses, spoke excellent English. He was quite chatty and humorous, making the ride enjoyable. He also recommended a famous local udon restaurant and advised that climbing to the top of Konpira-san Shrine would take at least 2.5 hours (definitely allow more time if you want to look around carefully and take photos).

Luggage Storage: We arrived at the hotel at 11 AM, dropped off our luggage, and headed straight for a meal before ascending Konpira-san. Upon returning to the hotel, our luggage had already been delivered directly to our room.

Room: We booked a bit late, but for this price, in other major Japanese cities, you'd only get a quarter of the space. My friend commented that she could finally spread out her suitcase and organize her belongings. There was also a dressing room/vanity, though the lighting was a bit dim. In the evenings, we enjoyed tea on the balcony, which was a very pleasant spot to relax and enjoy the view. Our room offered a direct view of the hotel garden and pond, a wonderful experience.

Restaurant: When booking, I chose the hotel's "Sanuki Santoku" (Three Treasures of Sanuki) dining plan. The waiter escorted us to a table with a great view and explained each dish. The food was delicious, and I was absolutely stuffed (I have a small appetite). Most of the service staff appeared to be of Indian descent.

Other Features:
1) I really loved the public lounge. In the evenings, the spacious design and soft lighting created a wonderful ambiance. It was very atmospheric to sit and slowly savor coffee/champagne (complimentary).
2) Our accommodation included one complimentary 45-minute private onsen session on the same floor as the lounge. It had a sofa and drinks, but only one shower stall, so if there were multiple people, we'd have to take turns. For me, the time was too short, and the water temperature wasn't as high as in the public bath.
3) The public bath had two pools. A smaller one outdoors, where the water was quite hot, and a sauna room, which was also very hot! I personally preferred the public bath.

Typical Japanese hot spring hotel with excellent view. A bit far from the main street but wont be a problem if you can have a 6-7 mins walk from there.

This is a historic Japanese-style inn where you can enjoy beautiful green views during both dinner and breakfast. It's incredibly convenient for sightseeing as the famous Kinpira-san hiking trail is directly accessible from the back of the hotel.

Great service, relaxing hotspring. Breakfast was ok. The location is perfect for exploring the wonderful temple area.

This 400-year-old onsen ryokan is a bit of a mixed bag. The location is definitely superb, and all drinks in the mini-bar are complimentary. Taking the path behind the ryokan to Konpira-san offers a unique and scenic experience, and the complimentary hiking poles at the entrance are a nice touch. However, I have to complain about the room facilities. The curtains were too sheer, making the entire room very bright in the morning. It seemed like they should have been blackout curtains, but they were faulty and couldn't be pulled down. After a long journey, I was hoping to get some good rest, but the bright curtains made it impossible – instead of waking up with the roosters, I woke up with the light! The food portions were very small, and there wasn't much variety. People with a big appetite would definitely not be full, and even those with a smaller appetite might struggle. Personally, I felt the freshness of the food was a bit lacking, and the kitchen's exhaust system was poor, as I could smell cooking fumes in the room.