Shizuka Ryokan Japanese Country Spa & Wellness Retreat

Shizuka Ryokan is a little touch of Japan in country Victoria. The rooms are perfectly simple, comfortable and Zen; the food is amazing; and best of all is the friendly and attentive service (most of the staff are Japanese-born, living in Australia). I attended one of the seasonal yoga retreats with in-house instructor Renee and it was the perfect mix of rest, reflection and activity. Highly recommended.

I went there for treatments. I had a geshia facial and it was lovely, my face felt amazing afterwards. I also had the Japanese bathing experience w massage which was fantastic. Probably didn't need a whole hour in the bath tho. I still really loved it, perf3ct for a cold wintery day. The added green tea and matcha cookies/rice crispies at the end was an added deliciousness.

Having stayed in ryokans in Japan, this is a pretty authentic. The room is comfortable, the food is excellent and the "wellness" first rate. Dinner is only served on a few evenings; make sure you book. Breakfast is Japanese, which for most of us is an adventure; a regular "English" breakfast is available as an alternative. The staff could not be more attentive or helpful. Transporting one's luggage to the room is best done via the staff parking.

I was attending a yoga retreat over 3 days. This is a wonderful venue to host a yoga retreat as all the props, mats etc.. are provided by the establishment. The rooms were beautiful and so authentically Japanese, the bath tub was devine! I had a shiatsu massage, the masseuse was Japanese and it was so blissful. The meals (breakfast, afternoon tea, lunch and dinner) were Japanese and absolutely delicious. All the staff (mainly Japanese) were just wonderful, helpful, respectful, attentive and so pleasant to deal with. I felt, it was a real Japanese experience. I am planning to return next year for another yoga retreat.

The staff are very attentive and approachable, making the stay as relaxing and welcoming as possible. They even texted to alert myself the tyres on my car was flat. Their attention to detail and care is beyond anything a typical hotel staff member would provide. The retreat was a very worth while stay for a short staycay. A two hour drive from Eastern Suburbs and we felt like we were in Japan itself. The food was also delicious. The room layout is very well through out, plenty of power points in convenient locations. We were very impressed! Definitely recommend for friends to visit for a place to unwind and get away from it all. There is wifi but it isn't the strongest connection and that is probably for the best. We had an unplugged staycay.