Hotele z: spa w Kagawa Prefecture, Japan

We stayed in a triple room this time, which had a balcony. They helped us set up the futons for dinner. The room was clean and tidy, and the sodas and snacks in the room were complimentary. Both dinner and breakfast were kaiseki multi-course meals. The ingredients were fresh and very satisfying. There were two free massage chairs on our floor, and a stargazing area on the rooftop. We could actually see stars at night, and it was incredibly quiet and comfortable. The hot springs offered both indoor and outdoor baths with a beautiful environment and full amenities, including free popsicles. In the lobby, there was a self-serve marshmallow roasting station with unlimited marshmallows. There was also a souvenir shop. A special reminder: the latest dinner time is 7:30 PM, so you must check in early. We drove there, and it was already dark. Be careful to turn at the intersection by the road, as there aren't many lights, and you might miss the entrance.

The staff of Olivean Shodoshima Yuhigaoka Hotel are professional and considerable. Their service are excellent, especially 1) The shuttle bus driver (morning shift strong man, forgot asking his name). When we arrived at Shodoshima Ferry Pier at 11:00am on April 7, we found a hotel shuttle bus, but not sure if it's the one of our staying hotel. We asked the driver if it's the one that waiting to pick us up. He said yes, but the hotel check-in time should be 3:00pm in the afternoon. He suggested us to have the sightseeing first and helped register the afternoon time for picking us instead. Also, he suggested taking our hand carry bags to the hotel front desk to avoid we carrying too heavy bags while travelling. 2) The lady staff (sorry for forgetting her name) at the lobby hall, who was very proactive. She came over immediately to help taking photos for us when she found we're taking a selfie. She also served us with free drinks for enjoying the sunset at the hall. 3) The staff at the reception desk are very professional. They helped us for check-in, explained the details of the time for meals, and provided all the information required. 4) The foods for dinner & breakfast buffet are very nice and yummy. The restaurant is clean and tidy. Overall, Olivean Shodoshima Yuhigaoka Hotel is a very professional and comfortable accommodation for stay. We're pleased and feel glad choosing this hotel.

Free parking lot - Ideal for having a road trip and anyone who wants to avoid expensive and difficult parking fee in the city centre; Service - Receptionists are friendly and welcoming. Staff working for breakfast buffet are diligent and friendly; Hygiene - Hotel room was generally clean and up to hygiene standard. No smoking smell among the entire hotel. Size - Hotel room is not so big but still reasonable, with all necessities ready for use such as a kettle with tea set, slippers, bathing clothes, toilet accessories. Dedicated space for opening suitcase is provided.; View - A window with a city view. You will have either sunrise or sunset view as a bonus of your stay! Breakfast - Plenty of Japanese and Western choices of quality food and drinks which kicked off your morning with great satisfaction! Dinner - We did not eat in the hotel restaurant. But a 5 to 10 minute driving will give you plenty of restaurant choices with good food; Onsen bath - Although it is an artificial onsen bath, it is definitely a bonus for the stay, especially when you are paying similar price for a nearby hotel with no onsen bath. Our two-night stay was better than expected and this hotel is definitely underrated in this price range, possibly due to the location being far away from Takamatsu city centre. Again, this hotel is highly recommended if you are having a road trip!

There is inconsistent treatment among staff. Guests with tattoos are not allowed into the public baths. On the first night around 10:00 PM, the long-haired receptionist was very friendly and gave me enough cover-up stickers based on the number of my tattoos. However, on the second night around 9:00 PM, the short-haired receptionist only offered me a single sticker and implied that I should go out and buy more myself. I find this unacceptable. Isn't your service standard supposed to be consistent?

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.

Perfect stay with kid and friends. Everyone has his/her own pleasure here in this resort. We booked two rooms, one in west side in the main building, the other one in east side. If you have kids, might better stay in west side because the lobby, restaurants and pool or other amenities are all located in west side. We hade a great time here.

I was surprised by how small the room was for a hot spring ryokan. With two suitcases, there was barely any room to walk. There was no Wi-Fi signal in the room, and the explanation given was that too many guests were using it simultaneously that night. Wi-Fi was only available in the hallway and lobby. Although the staff tried hard to resolve the issue, there was no solution, so we had to use our own mobile data (as an apology, they gave us a small souvenir when we checked out). Additionally, the 'one night, two meals' package... At over ¥2200, it was ¥1200 more expensive than just the room, but both dinner and breakfast were very mediocre. Compared to a hot spring ryokan I stayed at previously on Shodoshima (which wasn't great either, but at least the food was refined), the meals here were far inferior. There were only three small slices of sashimi, and there were even fish scales on the fish. For ¥1200, two people could have had many better dining options outside. The hot spring was decent, but nothing particularly impressive.

Great service in a large Japanese Tradional Onsen hotel. Minutes from the famous Kompira Shrine , room is spacious with great facilities, the outdoor Onsen is good but provide no views. Hotel has free car parking in an area some distance away, though shuttle are free.

Conveniently located right from the approach to Konpira, close to both JR Kotohira Station and Kotoden Kotohira Station. Amenity is only a toothbrush set and the other is taken next to the front desk. The tea pack has only tea, but I was grateful that I could bring coffee back with a cup after breakfast. It is less than 15 minutes walk to Marnaka of super Marquette.

The hotel is about 6 minutes away from the station and about 15 minutes to Marugame Castle, which is very convenient. Since this hotel was built recently, the facilities are all new. There are two hot springs for men and women, so there is no need to accommodate men and women swapping time. Moreover, the front desk service is very good, polite and willing to help. It would be better if there are more breakfast choices.