Miyajima Hotel Makoto

Very good position, nearby main street

Located a few minutes walk from the ferry port and easy walking distance to Itsukushima Shrine and all the shops/restaurants. This was my first time in a ryokan/ryokan style hotel, fortunately I’d done my research and knew what to expect with regard to mealtimes and the facilities. The hotel is a bit on the old side, but that just added to the charm for me. I was in room 308 which was a Japanese-style single. The main room was very spacious, with a good amount of storage and even a large safe (with an actual key), which I was all very happy about as more modern hotel rooms I stayed in on my trip could not offer the same. The bathroom had separate rooms for the toilet and shower/bath wetroom and the counter level for the sinks seemed to be a bit low. The room lobby (for want of a better description) has a fridge and tea/coffee making facilities. WiFi was fine (not much phone signal), I didn’t use the TV at all. In the cupboard/wardrobe there is a yukata to wear when in the hotel if you wish (which I did in the evenings for dinner). My booking had breakfast and dinner included, which was taken in a dining room on the second floor. Each room has their own table. No matter the meal it’s a set menu of several courses of what I believe has a lot of locally sourced seafood. To be honest I had no idea what most of it was (even after using Google Translate on the menu) but it’s all part of the fun! I ate everything that was put in front of me and didn’t go hungry. The hotel also has a sento (public bath) which while par for the course regarding Japan, maybe a bit unusual to a Westerner. Again, I knew what I was letting myself in for (please do your research on the correct etiquette) so I visited to both clean up and relax a bit before dinner. I found the staff to be very friendly and extremely helpful, with some on the front desk speaking prefect English if your Japanese falls a bit short. One day I had left quite early for the day and came back quite late and was addressed by name on my return to confirm my meal times, which was a nice surprise. Even though this wasn’t my first choice of hotel in Miyajima and it did take a little bit of adjustment regarding the whole ryokan experience, overall I had a great stay and had a suitably relaxing time. I would happily stay here again if given the option.