Personalized trips to Japan
for independent travelers

We wished we had more time in this place. It was in the woods, somewhat isolated, very quiet and in a beautiful setting. The dinner provided by the hotel was wonderful.

This hotel had an old Japan feel to it, yet with all the comforts. We had a large room with a private onsen, and the dinner that evening was amazing. It was the most enjoyable stay I’ve ever had in a hotel.

At first I thought this would be a little superficial and not very interesting, but our hostess made it fun. We could laugh at ourselves a bit as we tried to go through the proper motions and expressions. It not only added to our cultural understanding, but was fun in the process.

This was a good introduction to Tokyo. Our guide was personable and not only showed us the sights, helped us understand some of the cultural nuances that we would have missed on our own. This provided a good base for our further travels in Japan.

We arrived at this hotel before check-in, and the staff were able to hold our luggage for us until check-in time. The hotel staff were very hospitable and helpful. There was a Lawson convenience store connected straight to the hotel, which was, of course, convenient. This hotel is also conveniently located about a 5 minute walk from Hiroshima station, which is huge and has a nice shopping mall attached to it. The amenities the hotel offered were nice. The breakfast was a good combination of Japanese-style and western-style. They had many local delicacies from Hiroshima, including rice, which was very good. We had a connecting room for our last few nights in Japan, in Hiroshima, which was nice, except for the fact that the double-sized bed took up most of the room, with not much room to move around the bed. The connecting room had two twin-sized beds, and ample room to move around. The bathroom was very small and had an actual bathtub with a showerhead included.

The hotel staff was wonderful, and the amenities were great. This hotel is conveniently located very close to Dotonbori, Namba station, and Shinsaibashi Station. It was very easy to walk around Osaka near Namba to many different shopping areas, shrines, and restaurants. We appreciated the rainfall showerhead on the ceiling of the shower. The daily snack and drinks available were a good supplement after returning to the hotel from our day's adventures. The breakfast had good food, especially the takoyaki (Octopus balls), but we would've liked to see more Japanese style breakfast than the western-style that was the majority of what was offered. The chicken karaage was also delicious and the western-style foods were tasty, but left something to be desired. We felt frustrated with only having two washing/drying machines for the whole hotel and had to try to time out doing our laundry perfectly to make sure we had access to the limited machines.

We arrived at the Richmond hotel mid-afternoon before check-in time, and the staff was still able to accommodate us and check us in early, as we had a scheduled reservation to get to soon after. Our hotel room was comfortable with the separated toilet from a Japanese style shower/bath. What made Richmond stand out was their social hour in the evening during which time they provided snacks and alcoholic and soft drinks. Their snacks were delicious and a nice reprieve after a long day of exploring. Their breakfast was also versatile, with a great mix of Japanese style and western-style breakfasts. Their Japanese curry, especially was so good and having made-to-order shabu-shabu was a great start to ours days. They also had make-your-own sushi bowls, which we took advantage of every day. They offered wonderful amenities, including two floors of Laundry available with a television channel that showed available washer/dryer machines. They also offered a tatami-mat coaster workshop, which my mother was able to take advantage of. It was conveniently located close to Kyoto station, which has many different restaurants available, depending on what kind of mood you're in for food, and of course access to the subway station.

We didn't know what to expect when we checked into our hotel in Hakone after a long day of adventuring through the mountains, but our expectations were exceeded. The staff were patient and gracious. The hotel room was beautiful and the private bathtub on the balcony was such a wonderful retreat after a long day, despite the mosquitoes outside. My mom took advantage of the private bath on another level and enjoyed it. The free alcoholic and soft drinks offered were next level, and it was a great opportunity to try their plum wine, local beer, sparkling wine, and sake, as well as the delicious, different flavors of sodas and soft drinks. They also offered free coffee, tea, and matcha lattes; all of which were delicious. The hotel is also about a 15 minute walk to the Hakone Yumoto Station. Yukata was provided for all guests, and guests were encouraged to wear them and slippers around the hotel, however, for taller or plus-sized people, and with bigger feet, the fit might be tight. We had a combo package that included dinner and breakfast, both of which were incredible multi-course and beautiful Japanese-style meals. For dinner, it was a set-menu 7 course meal with appetizers, sushi, sashima, shabu-shabu, and other local delicacies, all of which were intriguing, beautifully displayed, and delicious. The menu was in Japanese on beautiful washi paper with hand calligraphy. Breakfast was fairly similar in grandiosity with another set-menu and beautifully displayed dishes and a delicious meal. If you are adventurous and enjoy Japanese food, this is a perfect stay.

This hotel was conveniently located, right near Asakusa shopping, Sensoji Temple, and the subway stations. Their staff were so patient and helpful, and allowed us to check in very early in the morning when we arrived in Japan. Their breakfast buffet was the perfect combination of Japanese and Western-style foods, and every day it was so delicious. The made-to-order onigiri and egg dishes were wonderful. The hotel room was nice, including the separated toilet and the Japanese-style shower. The beds and pillows were very comfortable.

Our tour guide Taka-San, messaged me several days before we were scheduled to meet with him, asking about our preferences and needs, and if he could reserve lunch for all of us at a local sushi restaurant. He was wonderful at communicating before, during, and after our day tour around Tokyo. He met with us at our hotel that morning, showed us how to use the subway station, answered all of our questions throughout the day, and imparted his extensive knowledge upon us. He took us to Meiji-Jingu Shrine, explained the Torii gates to us, the cultural practices, and taught us about the differences between Shinto and Buddhist shrines in Japan. Then, he took us to Tsukiji outer fish market, and was able to talk with local vendors on our behalf, allowing us to buy and experience delicious samples of wagyu beef and grapes. We also had lunch at a delicious sushi bar.