2-Star Hotels in Hiraizumi

This place could have and should have been wonderful. It was our final 3 night accommodation before returning home and we so looked forward to our 10 tatami room with park view. (Description from their website: “New Wing Standard Park View Japanese-Style Room, 10 tatami mats Non-Smoking [no bath, toilet with washer]”). On the website you have to check the Japanese to see the tatami size, in English it shows square meters. You can imagine our shock when we were shown our 6 tatami room. There was hardly enough floor space for the two futons along with the low table and two chairs, let alone luggage for two people on a 6 week Japan trip. Our one window looked out on the parking lot. If you squinted and look to the right you could glimpse the trees bordering Kanjizaiō-in Ato and perhaps the parking lot for Motsuji Temple. We had little interest in a view, but the fact that the room was described as having a “Standard Park View” was very misleading. We tried to arrange for a change of room. We were told there were no vacancies; the ryokan has only 6 rooms. Although there were rooms unoccupied on other nights of our stay, we were not offered them, though we would gladly have changed rooms mid-stay to get more floor space. We were also told there was no difference in price from the 6 tatami to the 10 tatami room so no refund was offered. Had we known this was the room we were going to be given, we would not have made the reservation. We have been coming to Japan twice a year since 1999, and this is the first time we have had such a problem with the room being so different from the one we reserved. As a “make nice” we were given beer free of charge with each of our dinners, but, quite frankly, it was no substitute for our cramped quarters. The baths were very small, probably no more than two people could fit comfortably at a time. The meals were lovingly prepared and served. It’s clear that the point of this ryokan is the food, not the accommodations, though the property was quite new and spotless. The care and attention to detail given by the chef was obvious with each course and each plate chosen specially to enhance the food. The chef or his assistant came to our table and gave us a brief description of each plate; much longer descriptions in Japanese were given to other guests, but we appreciated the chef’s trying to let us know something about the food we were served. I wish there were a way to rate the ryokan for food separate from accommodation. I took what would be our two ratings and averaged them.

The Shizukatei provides a great place for travelers to relax after a busy day. The Shizukatei is an ideal choice for travelers who want to take in the sights and sounds of Hiraizumi.Boasting a convenient location, the hotel is just 9km from JR Hiraizumi Station and 64km from Hanamaki Airport. There is no shortage of things to see in the area, with the Kyuoido, Benkeido and Kamojiishi all nearby.In their spare time, guests can explore the hotel's surroundings. This Hiraizumi hotel offers parking on site.

We were intent on spending a night in the area in order to devote an entire day to explore the Hiraizumi area. The options looked pretty dire, but Hiraizumi Hotel Musashibo looked like the best of the bunch. While it cost just a fraction of decent hotels and ryokans in other parts of the country, it was commanding the highest rates, so we gave the property a shot. First off - this property looks... and is... old, inside and out. And not in a ”grand dame” or ”historic” kind of way. It's old, tired, worn down and in desperate need of an exterior and interior refurbishment. In fact, it might be best if they tore the place down and rebuilt it from scratch. Just about everything, from the showers to the ancient toilets to the discolored walls, were decrepit and crying for a re-do. Even the slightly musky scent did the place no favors. The room itself was not teeny tiny in size, which we were dreading. It was a slightly larger room in the West Wing, which commanded higher rates than rooms in the main building. It was far from luxury, but was mildly passable. If there was one decent aspect of the hotel's hard product, it was the public (gender segregated) Onsen hot springs bath. It too was old, but was of decent size and was reasonably well maintained. The other part that exceeded expectations was in the quality of the food as well as the waiter service. One of the courses consisted of the famed Maesawa Beef that we grilled ourselves, Teppanyaki style. We also paid extra for the optional Maesawa Beef Nigiri Sushi, and were glad that we did. It was not unlike Fatty Tuna (Toro) Nigiri in texture, if not in taste. Everything else about the experience was far from luxury. No doorman, nobody proactively helping with our luggage, nobody taking us to our room and explaining the amenities and in-room functions (mind you, there wasn't much so perhaps it wasn't necessary.) Upon check-out... again, nobody offered to help carry our luggage to our car. And nobody seeing us off as we drove away. We've had such service in lower-priced properties in Japan, so it came as a surprise that very little effort was made to provide ”Omotenashi” Japanese hospitality. We were glad that we stayed in Hiraizumi, and Hiraizumi Hotel Musashibo did not ruin our time there. But it did nothing to enhance the experience in any way.