Thank you for your warm welcome.
Sorry, the_amanized. You are a he. I stayed at Gion Hatanaka and I enjoyed it very much. Good service, good food. My room had a nice view of the garden. A beautiful public bath (Tawaraya doesn't have a public bath. Guests use a private one in their room. Hiiragiya has a small public bath.)
It is not easy to put this into words, but let me try. When you go to one of the traditional top-notch ryokans, the entrance, flowers, tea and sweets, scrolls and vases, bath, dinner--they are all prepared for you--they are orchestrated to create a memorable experience for you to enjoy. You let the ryokan take the lead and float in the ambience.
Does that make a good excuse for being so inflexible? Probably not.
Originally Posted by
wideman
My preferred places to stay in Japan are properties that combine some of the comfort and privacy features of Western luxury with the perfections of Japanese luxury. Hoshinoya in Karuizawa is one example, the Gora Hyatt (surprisingly, to me at least) is another, and I would very much be happy to hear of others.
wideman, there are many Japanese who agree with you. Properties such as Miyama-sou in the north of Kyoto (I adore this place. Their service and their sense of beauty is extraordinary. Need about two hours of driving from central Kyoto), Hakone Kyuan, Atami Fu-fu, are similar in type.