Originally Posted by
Groombridge
I'm guessing that some will feel that Gora Kadan is Aman-esque, but I'm going to argue pre-emptively against it, since I found it to be one of the most disappointing lodging experiences I've ever had. Very tired interiors, uninspired and dull meals, and gimmicky service.
It's funny you say this. When I first saw the title of the thread, I immediately thought Gora Kadan! No kidding!
I'm respectfully going to have to disagree with you, Groombridge. I've stayed there twice, and both times have found it excellent. To me, it was one of the best hotel/meal experiences in my life, and I've been around. The rooms are pleasant, although I'll give it to you that they are not over the top. I think we have to consider what ryokans generally go for (simplicity and the very basics, not opulence). I found the food incredible (both preparation and ingredients). Honestly, I found the ingredients to be the rarest and most expensive here out of any of the ryokans I've been to (including the Tawaraya and Hiiragiya). I actually found the presentation to be among the most inspired too.
As for service, that was the ryokan's weak spot. This is not to say that it was bad -- it was better than almost any non-ryokan hotel I've ever been to. However, it just wasn't up to the levels of some other ryokans (again, Hiiragiya and Tawaraya). It was at time amateurish and, for one of my stays, I had two different servers. For some reason, they assigned it so that we had one for the first two days and then she had her day off, so we had somebody else. Not good.
As you can see, I think this is a fantastic place and would highly recommend it. And it's definitely Aman-ish. In fact, my experience at Gora Kadan was far superior to my Aman experience (which I admit was only one long stay in a villa at Amanpuri as I generally don't travel to the parts of the world where Aman has hotels).
On a different note, you could consider any good ryokan Aman-esque, in some ways due to the high level of service.