Kumano Bettei Nakanoshima
B · 7.5 / 10right inn, right place
Kumano Bettei Nakanoshima is an island ryokan off Nachikatsuura, a five-minute boat ride from shore and the only luxury option near Kumano Nachi Taisha and Nachi Falls, built around a seaside onsen that KI-NRT calls really nice and, at its best, spectacular and mystical. Ultra-fresh Katsuura seafood and personable service are real strengths, but only one of the 44 rooms has an in-room onsen and the view is partly marred by oil tanks across the strait. KI-NRT calls it a good, relaxing base for exploring the area, and says to book Kihinshitsu, the top room, if you can.
Scores
Food 4 / 5
The kitchen has its pick of Katsuura port: nama maguro, the local tuna that is never frozen before serving, served cutlet-style, and grilled abalone in the shell with butter. KI-NRT found the food really good and thoroughly enjoyed it, and while it was not the most creative of meals, it did not need to be. Meals are in the main restaurant, and the private dining rooms have no ceiling, so drunk guests were audible at dinner. Whale has appeared.
Bath 4.5 / 5
The onsen is a seaside one, and KI-NRT calls it spectacular and mystical. Only one of the 44 rooms, the top-category Kihinshitsu in the Chomontei building, has an in-room onsen, and the bath in the other rooms is not spring water, so everyone else uses the communal baths or rents the private open-air onsen bath by the hour, which he found really nice with good views from the water and used twice in a one-night stay.
Service 4.5 / 5
Service is a strong point. Everyone from the manager to the front desk to the wait staff was courteous, warm and personable, seemed to care about the stay, and was eager to explain the area, its history and the ingredients in each dinner course, and they allowed a late checkout, which KI-NRT notes cannot be taken for granted at Japanese ryokans. He was impressed that a hotel with this many rooms pulls off the personal touch.
Room 3 / 5
KI-NRT's Luxury Deluxe Ocean View Room, the second category from the top, was modern and reasonably stylish with a good view of the ocean and the peninsula across the way. It had no separate bedroom and living room, which he prefers, and no large closet, so the rollerboard luggage sat on the living-room floor. The top category is a single room, Kihinshitsu, the only one of 44 with an in-room onsen, and it was not available when he booked.
Place 4 / 5
Nakanoshima is a private island off the Kii Peninsula coast, a short boat ride from the mainland, and the only high-end choice near Kumano Nachi Taisha and Nachi Falls. The view across the strait is partly marred by two large green oil-reserve tanks on the facing peninsula, which the property can do nothing about. Take the short, easy hike from the roof of the building to the hilltop for a panoramic view, with a foot bath along the trail.
Getting there
- Osaka — ~4h10, 1 transfer (estimated). Shin-Osaka to Kii-Katsuura ~4h on Kuroshio LEX, then ~7 min walk + ~5 min shuttle boat.
- Nagoya — ~3h30, 1 transfer (estimated). Nagoya to Kii-Katsuura ~3h20 on Nanki LEX, then walk + shuttle boat.
Sources
TripAdvisor 4★ (January 2022) · #390 (thread mentions)