Ryokan Kurashiki
C · 6.3 / 10situational
An eight-room inn in an authentic historic building at the heart of Kurashiki's canal district, with Meiji-era antiques throughout and a spot right on the main canal by the Nakabashi Bridge, and the default luxury choice in town. KI-NRT's stand-alone Inui suite came with a service gap and a stairway that ruled out room dining, but he closed by saying he'd stay again with a different room and a better-briefed server; by 2025 he was calling it a coin toss against the newer Yoruya nearby.
Scores
Food 3 / 5
Dinners are straightforward kaiseki, well presented though not particularly innovative, and KI-NRT enjoyed the vast majority of dishes and called them more than satisfactory. Breakfast was a bit lacking, with small portions and not the variety he is used to at other luxury ryokans. Meals are served in the rooms except in the Inui suite, whose steep stairs mean its guests eat every meal in the main restaurant, and the inn does not say so online.
Bath
There is no onsen in the rooms, and the only hot spring bathing is a small onsen bath in a separate facility on the premises, which KI-NRT noted but did not describe.
Service 2 / 5
Service was the big irritation of KI-NRT's stay. The same waiter served every meal, which would have been good had he known and cared more about his work; asked about a dish, he picked up the handwritten menu on the table and read it aloud. KI-NRT expects a top ryokan to train its servers in the intricacies of each dish and found Kurashiki does not, and a year on he told another poster that the butler service 'left a lot to be desired.'
Room 3.5 / 5
Luxury Suite Inui is in a stand-alone building across the rear garden, 63.1 square metres and the newest, most modern of the rooms, bright and airy with vaulted ceilings and light-coloured wood, though with only one sink. The steep stairs are the bigger problem, because the staff consider them a hazard and will not carry meals up, so Inui is the only room without in-room dining, and KI-NRT would pick another room next time.
Place 4.5 / 5
Ryokan Kurashiki stands at the heart of the Kurashiki Bikan historical quarter, on the main canal by the Nakabashi Bridge, and the historic building blends in nicely with the rest of the old town, with Meiji-era antiques inside in darned good shape. Kurashiki is touristy but gorgeous, and KI-NRT found two nights the right length to see it slowly. Even after a disappointing stay he still called the inn charming and centrally located.
Getting there
- Okayama — ~0h30, 1 transfer (estimated). Okayama Stn to Kurashiki ~15 min by JR local/rapid, then ~15 min taxi to Bikan district.
- Hiroshima — ~1h20, 2 transfers (estimated). Hiroshima to Okayama ~40 min Shinkansen, transfer to Kurashiki ~15 min, then ~15 min taxi.
Sources
FlyerTalk review #1 · TripAdvisor 4★ (November 2020) · #319 · #637 (thread mentions)