Ryotei Kaichoro

“One of the best ryokan I stayed...”

This ryokan is located in the famous Ikaho Onsen, in the Gunma Prefecture. Owned by the same famous ryokan operator of Fukuichi, who is in the business for the 17th generation and over 400 years, this ryokan has really taken the comfort, luxury, care and service to the next level. After dropping o… Plus

This ryokan is located in the famous Ikaho Onsen, in the Gunma Prefecture. Owned by the same famous ryokan operator of Fukuichi, who is in the business for the 17th generation and over 400 years, this ryokan has really taken the comfort, luxury, care and service to the next level. After dropping off from our car, the staff greeted us warmly and showed us to the big lobby, which was in the side of Fukuichi, and originally I have to admit that it seemed just like another big ryokan tailoring for many visitors. But after a short while of waiting, we were shown to the annex, going out from the main building through a private access for the guests of Kaichoro. And the wonder begins... Arriving on the second floor, where there is only three rooms of 'Modern Japanese Style Suite' type, the corridor already impressed me a lot, where there is a lighted wall showing the flowers and vegetation design mural representing the ryokan, providing a sense of serenity to us. Entering the room I have to say I dropped my jaw on the size and comfort that greeted me. The living room is huge (15 mat in size), with warming lighting illuminating the great tone of wood and paper famous for interior design in Japan. In order to hide the TV, bookshelf, and the pantry on one side, the ryokan has used a wall of paper sliding door to create a tidy and simple feel, but once you open the doors you can immediately access to the enjoyment of the modern appliances. On the other side is the bedroom, which is of western style. The choice of mattress, comforter and pillow again highlighted how the ryokan has taken the attention to details to such an exceptional level. Not only there is different choices of pillow for the guest to choose (and those are available in the room so you can try it out), the comforter is made from Eider Duck feathers, which is super soft, light and warm, and is known as the jewel of comforter and the best that money can buy. And they also deliberately lowered the roof and created a curved shape to provide better sense of security and coziness to help give you a good sleep. Looking out the windows there is a wall of green, and there is a balcony where you can sit and relax, while admiring at the natural beauty, the sense of quiet and tranquility, while sipping at a drink (all the drinks in the fridge are provided for free) and listening to the river flowing below is simply the best way to smooth out the nerves and pressure from our daily lives. But that is obviously not the only way. Adjacent to the balcony is a semi-open bath, with the bathtub made from the expensive Ofuro wood, and the 'Silver' spring water from the Ikaho onsen. The size of the tub is also big for the family to bath together. With such pleasure in the room we really don't have much incentive to go visit the public bath this time. The make-up and shower room is also huge in size. With two basins so you can need to fight in the morning for the make-up, the ryokan has provided good quality amenities, such as 'Thann' skin-care kits for each of us. They are also using the same brand for all the bath gel, shampoo and conditioner too. After going for a short walk at the onsen street, we went back to take a short break and then went to dinner, also located in the same annex. The meal was again phenomenal. Not only the food is tasty, all the utensils used are also a piece of art by itself. After a good sleep, the next morning we have another wonderful breakfast. Like the dinner, each elements of the meal was carefully thought out and the chef had taken the effort to create a memorable experience on both our palate and visual. Many people may wonder how much would this cost. Frankly Kaichoro is one of the most expensive ryokan I have ever stayed. For the one night with two meals it cost us 182,000 yen, which of course is a big amount. Having said that, it is still one of those places I would recommend you to visit once in your life if you can afford that. My overall rating is 9.0/10.

Moins

“Relaxing stay at Ikaho Onsen town”

Established in 2008, Kaichoro is an adults-only (minimum age is 18 to stay here) onsen ryokan located in Ikaho Onsen, Gunma, and is an annex of its sister inn, Fukuichi, which has been around for over 14 generations (at least 440 years.) The ambiance is completely different between the two. Fukuic… Plus

Established in 2008, Kaichoro is an adults-only (minimum age is 18 to stay here) onsen ryokan located in Ikaho Onsen, Gunma, and is an annex of its sister inn, Fukuichi, which has been around for over 14 generations (at least 440 years.) The ambiance is completely different between the two. Fukuichi is a typical onsen ryokan with 83 rooms and much more family-oriented, whereas Kaichoro only has 8 rooms and offers hot springs baths in every room. Kaichoro guests can avail themselves to the facilities within Fukuichi but not the other way around. Fukuichi consists of two buildings, and the first two floors of the Manyo Building is where Kaichoro resides. The driveway and parking area are shared; however, Kaichoro has its own, separate entrance and lobby area as well as dedicated staff that tend to guests' needs. We stayed in one of the two "special" rooms - ours was the Japanese & Western-style Suite with Open-Air Bath, which offers 100m² of total space. There is also a Japanese Suite that is of the same size, but we try to avoid open-plan rooms (prefer segregated living room/bedroom), and judging by the photos it appeared to us that the Japanese Suite was more form over function. Your mileage and preferences may vary. The Suite was modern, sufficiently spacious and tastefully appointed, and had a bedroom, a Japanese tatami room, a Western-style living room and two toilets (a big bonus for us.) Outside is a large patio with a garden, an open-air hot springs bath, as well as a view of the hillside across the valley - it's in a private and serene setting. You'll never believe that you're in a nondescript building that is shared with a relatively large ryokan (Fukuichi.) That such a luxurious ryokan cheapens out on the amenities, therefore, is puzzling to us. Most of the bathroom toiletries are single-use, tear-to-open packages for things like moisturizers, toothpaste and shaving foam. Most luxury ryokans have individual, travel-sized amenities from name brands, but not here. The primary reason most travelers come all the way to Ikaho Onsen is to enjoy the Onsen, and here, Kaichoro mostly delivers - but, to get the most out of your stay, you'll need to know what options are at your disposal. For starters, Kaichoro (and Fukuichi) source two different Onsen varieties - "Shirogane No Yu" (Silver Onsen) and "Kogane No Yu" (Golden Onsen, which is more brown that gold in color.) The in-room Onsen in different rooms at Kaichoro source from one or the other, and it depends on the room that you stay in. Our Suite was of the Silver variety. The communal, gender-segregated Onsen baths in Fukuichi offer both types; however, the three private rental onsens (also shared with Fukuichi) - Yurari, Sarari and Fuwari differ - in fact, the first two are not Onsen at all - they are Negative Ion tap water baths sourced from nearby Mt. Haruna (Sarari is continuously flowing from the source), while Fuwari is a Golden Onsen that comes straight from the source. Armed with this knowledge by asking various staff members at Kaichoro, we were able to try both onsen varieties between our room onsen and the "Fuwari" rental bath. An interesting fact about Kogane no Yu (aka "golden onsen"): it's originally clear like most other hot springs, but the iron inside causes it to become a rich brown (hence the name “gold”) when it comes into contact with oxygen. Hot springs in general are known for the benefits that they can have on your health; in addition to all the typical effects that are common to other hot springs, Kogane no Yu is said to have healing effects on even medicated ailments, burns, and cuts. Shirogane no Yu (白金の湯) is a relatively newer hot spring that has been drawing in visitors to Ikaho throughout recent years. It is popular among women for having natural moisturizing components that help to smooth out and refresh the skin. Food wise, Kaichoro was a mixed bag. We generally never have a bad kaiseki meal at a luxury ryokan, and while Kaichoro was no exception, neither were we blown away by the dining experience. Several of the servings were wonderful - the Fugu (puffer fish) in a jellied dashi broth was memorable, as was the Shirako (Cod Milt) Tempura. However, several of the other dishes were unimaginative and - quite frankly - not appropriate for a tier-1 ryokan. The Buri Daikon (grilled Japanese Amberjack with Daikon Radish) is a very typical dish that can be found in a neighborhood izakaya (pub food), and the one at Kaichoro didn't exactly stand out, either. The Japanese breakfast was an improvement, but not enough to overcome our belief that we've had better meals at ryokans priced less than Kaichoro. We wondered whether service quality would be watered down and corporate, what with Kaichoro being part of a much larger ryokan. Our fears, however, were unfounded - everyone was gracious, warm, knowledgeable and professional. We usually do our own research and ask very little from ryokan staff members, but we have little doubt that they'll do everything they can for us should the need arise. Location wise, Kaichoro is ideally situated. There is a passageway that connects to the second Fukuichi building, and from there (on the 19th floor) there is an exit that takes you straight to the Ikaho Onsen town's stone steps (step 300 of 365.) Very convenient. Ikaho Onsen is definitely a destination that primarily caters to the domestic market - we saw far less foreigners than, say, Hakone or Kinosaki Onsen. Although it wouldn't be the first onsen town that we'd recommend foreign guests to visit, its comparatively inconvenient location definitely will appeal to folks wishing to be a bit off the beaten path. Among such travelers wishing to have a high-end stay, the de-facto option is Kaichoro. And as far as we're concerned, it's a very solid choice.

Moins