Bettei Oborozukiyo
B · 7.8 / 10right inn, right place
A 19-room inn five minutes' walk from Dogo Onsen Honkan, built in 2015 with a classic look but a fresh, modern feel, and KI-NRT calls it far and away the top luxury option in the town. Every room has its own open-air onsen fed by the same spring as the Honkan, and an Iyo beef shabu-shabu hot pot stood out in a delicious kaiseki dinner. He still routes Shikoku itineraries through it years later, as the base for a Matsuyama swing, though he does not treat it as a destination in itself.
Scores
Food 4 / 5
The kaiseki is locally sourced and super fresh, with awesome seafood (some of it served as sashimi) and an Iyo beef sirloin shabu-shabu hot pot that KI-NRT called a great way to enjoy the local meat. He found the meal delicious and beautifully presented, though not the best he has ever had, and meals are served in private dining rooms, where his one nitpick is that he would have preferred to eat in his own room.
Bath 4.5 / 5
Every room has at least one open-air onsen bath, and the water comes from the same source as the Dogo Onsen Honkan. KI-NRT's Oborozuki Suite had two free-flowing baths, a small open-air one for a single person and a much larger one that can be enclosed or opened up with sliding glass; he kept the small one hotter for warming up and the big one cooler for a long soak, which he called pure bliss. There is also a communal bath, which he did not try.
Service 4 / 5
Dinner and breakfast were served by Riyo Miyauchi, a charming, engaging and enthusiastic young woman born and raised in the area, who answered a stream of questions about Ehime and its food, and KI-NRT summed the service up as friendly and attentive.
Room 4 / 5
The top category is the G-Type Special Room with Open-Air Bath, and KI-NRT's Oborozuki (room 307) is a 94-square-metre suite, nicely laid out and tastefully furnished, with two onsen baths, two separate toilets (a favourite of Mrs. KI-NRT) and a bedroom completely closed off from the living area, so she could nap while he took a video call.
Place 4 / 5
The inn is a five-minute walk from the centre of Dogo Onsen and its Honkan, the historic bath house that was a setting in Miyazaki's Spirited Away, and KI-NRT finds Dogo one of the more charming onsen towns in Japan, its restaurants, shops and cafes giving off a Taisho-era feel, though not quite as atmospheric as Kinosaki. With 19 rooms it is a big departure from the mega hotels in the area, and he says to make sure you visit Matsuyama Castle.
Getting there
- Matsuyama — ~0h25, 1 transfer (estimated). About 25 min by Iyotetsu tram from JR Matsuyama Station area to Dogo Onsen terminus, then a short walk.
- Okayama — ~3h10, 1 transfer (estimated). Limited Express Shiokaze from Okayama to Matsuyama runs about 2h40, plus roughly 20 min by tram out to Dogo Onsen.
Sources
FlyerTalk review #1 · TripAdvisor 5★ (February 2022) · #634 (thread mentions)