Chalet Ivy Jozankei
A · 8.2 / 10anchor a leg
A 2019 all-suite riverside ryokan that KI-NRT calls Jozankei's premier luxury stay, with Aman-grade design, an involved okami and memorable Hokkaido kaiseki, an easy hop from Sapporo. The one drawback is the bathing, because the source water is tempered with tap water and there is no open-air bath, so Takinoya still wins on onsen while Chalet Ivy wins nearly everything else. Both first-hand stays were happy ones, with nothing said against it.
Scores
Food 4.5 / 5
Dinner was the highlight of KI-NRT's stay: A5 Hida beef wrapped in komatsuna, local sashimi and above all a miso-marinated abura bozu (skillfish) with fried sakura leaves and a condensed-milk hollandaise, full of good fat and flavor. He found the two-hour meal far superior to his dinner at Ao no Za, and breakfast impressed him equally. Stays include a preloaded card for the self-serve alcohol dispenser, and there is a lounge with free snacks.
Bath 3.5 / 5
All 26 suites have their own onsen tub, and the gender-segregated communal bath is modest in size and often blissfully empty, with a full spa, a sauna and a gym alongside. The water comes from the Jozankei source but is cut with tap water to bring the 88°C spring down to 41°C, and KI-NRT wished for a more advanced system like Myoken Ishiharaso's and for a terrace with an open-air bath. Takinoya has purer water and bigger communal baths.
Service 4.5 / 5
KI-NRT calls the service outstanding, better than at the Tsuruga Group's luxury properties. The okami, Mayumi Yamamoto, was the first hospitality hire and spent 18 months helping develop the place before it opened, and her presence is felt throughout as she warmly interacts with guests. kyeung2 found the English-speaking staff very friendly, and they picked him up at the bus stop and arranged his car to the airport.
Room 4.5 / 5
Every suite is at least 67 square metres with its own onsen tub, in warm beige and light gray, country charm meeting modern Japanese design, which KI-NRT says could pass for an Aman or Zecha property. He took the top Premium 2-Bedroom Suite (137 square metres), bigger than he needed but with better views, and found it spacious, well appointed and soul-soothing. The one thing he would add is a terrace with an open-air bath.
Place 3.5 / 5
The ryokan stands on the Toyohira River in Jozankei, Hokkaido's largest onsen town, with around 20 ryokans and 1.5 million visitors a year, public footbaths, canoeing on the river and kappa statues around town. KI-NRT found it a comfortable 24°C in the green season while Tokyo baked at 35°C, and says one night is enough unless you ski or hike. Inside there is a private media room, one of the unusual amenities of a ryokan this size.
Sources
FlyerTalk review by kyeung2 #245 · FlyerTalk review #585 · Ikyu 4.56 / 5 · #564 · #792 (thread mentions)