Kinosake Onsen Ryokan
 

We would like a centrally located ryokan and one of our group definitely want their own toilet. Has anyone been to a ryokan in the Kinosaki Onsen lately and can tell me about their ryokan. lots listed but not many saying if they have a toilet.

I usually advocate self-booking but have found for ryokans that it can be tricky sifting through information as many websites are Japanese only, or have a single page in English with limited information.
I really appreciated the help from Japanese Guesthouses when I had exactly the same kind of question, they were able to let me know which properties would suit, advise on costs, facilities, availability and make the bookings.

I stayed at Mikuniya Ryokan in April. It is an easy short walk from the station. Friendly people and English is spoken well. Especially the owner, who had some connection to UCLA, maybe as a student.

My room had a private bath - toilet and tub/shower. The kaiseki dinner was in my room. Tatami mats and the low table as well as the other features of a traditional ryokan. Not fancy. Comfortable enough futon and quiet.

Breakfast was in a dining room, tatami mats and low tables. When I entered the room breakfast was laid out at all of the tables and the other guests arrived a couple of minutes after me. The breakfast time would not have been my choice, but ok.

There is what they call a spa tub available to the guests. For soaking. You reserve your time. I decided to give up reserved time, so I don't know big it is. But if it is large enough for 10 people then you could reserve it back-to-back-to-back and spend hours there together!

There is a convenience store across the street. A nice little bar next door with some outside seating. I enjoyed talking with the Mikuniya owner there with a couple of his buddies. A restaurant a couple of doors away for a good lunch. Nice lady runs a good coffee shop a minute away toward the station.

From the ryokan you walk away from the station to the corner. The cross street is the one where all/most of the onsen are. The first onsen is just across that street and then you could go down the line, so to speak to the other onsen. It is the one to go to before breakfast at Mikuniya.

There are some more centrally located ryokan, nearer to the onsen buildings, farther from the station, than Mikuniya.

japaneseguesthouses.com is a great resource for information.

However that webiste said that Mikuniya was not available to solo guests. I found out that was not true when I booked at the Mikuniya website http://www.kinosaki3928.com/english/

The photos of the town usually show the canal/river that runs through town. The onsen street that I mentioned above is along that canal.

I was surprised at the number of foreign guests in Kinosaka Onsen. Not enough to spoil it, though. You shouldn't have much trouble finding English language webpages for that town.

I also stayed at Mikuniya as a solo traveler in April of 2014. I did use their bath but don't remember its size. And I only had dinner, not breakfast, as I had an early train the next morning. I just looked at my photos - dinner was quite good!

Thanks everyone I really appreciate your replies and we have booked for a couple of nights

where?

I have booked Mikuniya for two nights while I appreciate it has shared bathrooms. it is a western bathroom so that makes it a bit easier for them/

Ok. Their website does say "The room has a lavatory(toilet) but no bath". It means that there is no tub. My room had what we would call a bathroom: shower, toilet, sink, mirror. I would be surprised if any of the other rooms did not have a shower.

Are you all familiar with the onsen process and customs? Are they all capable of sitting on a stool to clean their bodies?

I hope they don't have trouble with stairs.

Goodness mr Wunrfl these people are fit and well and travel overseas at least 3 or 4 times a year on tramping trips in the last year, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mexico, Finland , Brazil , Galapagos island, Tonga and one couple to Antartica just to name a few. Yes we will make sure that they are familiar with the bathing etiquette. As I said this is our 21st trip to Japan where our children went to school and worked for many years.

>> these people are fit

ok, I should have known that how?

>>western bathroom so that makes it a bit easier

made me consider that a squat toilet would have been difficult for them

I also was under the impression that the group was "elderly".

By the way, have any of you stayed at Mikiya Ryokan in Kinosaki?
We've got a reservation in late September.