Tocen Goshoboh

Poor value for the price we paid. Have been to various Onsen ryokans all over Japan, this one is the worst among all for the price we paid- over 83000yen for the "bare minimum of everything" service we got from the hotel. Both dinner and breakfast ingredients are below average and the cooking is also so-so. The hotel room is dry as hell without an air humidifier. The valet parking only takes care of you upon arrival.you have to wait long for a shuttle to drive you up hills in the small alley up in a steep narrow slopes to get your own car. The shuttle driver left our luggage and us right upon arrival, didn't even border to give us instructions how to get out. What a disappointing experience. This is one of the three Onsen hotels we stayed on this trip, doubled the price of the other two and provided much less services the price deserved.

One of the more expensive ryokan that I've stayed and while there are many good reviews, there are things that this ryokan lacks. Location is wonderful, if you are taking express bus services from osaka or kyoto. Bus terminal is literally just outside the ryokan. Service is some what mixed. While I'm impressed with how the staff wipe and clean down your luggage when you arrived, I guess they are also trying to protect their wooden floors and tatami mats from getting dirty. English speaking non native staff are not as polite and patient as Japanese staff. Rooms are normal Japanese styled which is good for family bonding with all 4 of us hurdle together. The public insen facilities really is a miss. There's only 4 shower facilities, and both open and indoor onsen are really tiny. Open onsen is separated by low wall between man and woman.

We stayed there for 2 nights and it was one of the best hotels we have ever stayed. Even though the price was a bit high, you got all the service you paid for! Upon arrival, they took our luggages, cleaned the wheels, and they carried them up to our room (on the 3rd floor!). Then after checking in and paid the onsen tax, they showed us the room and walked through the whole unit. They asked us the dinner and breakfast time, because they would prep our room for night time and cleaned it in the morning. The dinner and breakfast served there were amazing! It was traditional Japanese food. Since we stayed for 2 nights, we expected to have the same dinner and breakfast menus for the 2 days, but no they changed it up and we were surprised! Both days food were equally good! The onsen was a golden outdoor onsen where there was a divider between the men and women side. It was my first onsen experience. It was good overall. We did the onsen after dinner and it wasn't crowded. There was only 1 or 2 men in there besides us and sometimes it was just us. So it was like a private onsen. The server was top notch there. One detail was they would store your outdoor shoes away and when you wanted to go out, they would bring the shoes to you! I would definitely go back and stay there again!

The best ryokan in the Arima Onsen hot springs. Super authentic room & onsen. Although there is no lift, luggage would be carried by all the hotel staff (mostly female) to room swiftly. We were amazed with their strength! The building is nostalgic. So children were advised to be light footed when walking as our room was on the 3rd floor. The room has a balcony, a separate bathroom, and a shower. Also, with a big closet, writing desk & massage chair. The futons are thick & comfy. Thumbs up 👍🏻 The air inside the bathing area of onsen is filled with water vapour, which I like coz kinda steamy & cannot see each other clearly. The indoor Ginsen is hotter than outdoor Kinsen, which could be due to winter. Guests can walk on the onsen pathway leading to the outdoor Kinsen, which is thoughtful as there is no sudden change of temp. The ryokan is in the middle of the town. We recee around in foot. Loved the meat croquette (Kuroge wagyū), deep fried mantou (Karintō Manjū), rice crackers (senbei), Arima cider & beer.

Over priced with poor service. There was no welcoming reception. The first thing they asked me was to pay bath tax. The staff wasn’t asking me to sit down or offering me a cup of tea, instead, they asked me to pay the bath tax immediately standing in front the cashier. But some other customers were being treated more nicely. We’ve drove a long way to there, felt tired and very look forward to this ryokan because of its long history. However, the coldness and discrimination of the staff made us uncomfortable. The room was noise. You can hear the talking and walking noise from your neighbours or upstairs. The tatami floor was uneven. There was something, probably from the last guest, left in toilet area. The public onsen looked old and dirty. Lack of amenities. Men and women onsen separated with one low partition. For ladies have to be careful. The quality of dinner was below average and the ingredients were not fresh. There was a cook grilling Kobe beef in teppanyaki style in the restaurant. I was so looking forward to it. However, it turned out the beef was very chewy and the portions were so little. That was the worst Kobe beef I’ve ever had. And the waiter looked tired to serve. I wanted to stay for 2 nights, but there was no room available for the second night. So I had to choose another ryokan in the same area. I felt lucky I didn’t stay one more night there eventually. The ryokan for the second night was far more better with lower price. I’ve stayed more than 40+ hotels or ryokans all over Japan. I always believe Japan has great hospitality. However, this ryokan is one of the worst. Definitely won’t recommended.

Be aware that this onsen is very bare bones with no lockers and with unhygienic parts that lacks cleaning. There is a parting screen that literally has strands of dust that has caked on itself for so many years it is FLUFFY and matted like dog fur. The floors have tiny holes which are filled with years of grime. Windows inside onsen are grimy and gray with dirt. They need to re do the design so they can have a cleaning routine. Most people aren’t aware it’s a mixed bath which means you can get stared at by people in the next pool.