Shoan

Comentarios destacados

• d2fan

  05 febrero 2011
  Magical location and first class attention to detail

  Shoan is hidden away on its own peninsula in Matsushima Bay, far from the madding crowds of the town centre - and what a stunning location it is. We stayed there in the depths of the low season and were the only guests both nights, so it was like having a ryokan all to ourselves. The whole place is modern but traditional, beautifully appointed and with superb attention to detail, right down to the western-style lounge where a different classical artist is profiled in the music selection each month. Best of all, though, was our spacious room. When we opened our screen doors the view took our breath away - a completely private bay of limestone islands which beats anything you see on the normal tourist routes. The inn also has two lovely footpaths running through the adjacent woodlands and out onto promontaries with views onto the main bay. It's all quite wonderful. Limited English is spoken, to a sufficient extent for foreigners to feel comfortable and welcome, and service was generally excellent, as one would expect. We had a slight disappointment with our dinner on the first night, when the standard of a few dishes wasn't up to what one might expect for this class and price. But meals improved after that and it may have been a low season glitch. The only other thing I'd fault was the ambience of the restaurant itself (called Umine, and open for lunch to non-guests). It's mish-mash of decor styles and hints of clutter here and there seemed very much out of keeping with the ryokan as a whole. Dinner can be taken in one's room, but breakfast must be eaten at Umine. Otherwise, though, our stay was magical...and that view will remain in our minds for ever!

  

• pieceofgold

  14 marzo 2016
  Ultimate hospitality, great meal and fabulous view

  One of the best Ryokan stays. We enjoyed very comfortable hospitality, and beautiful landscape from a room. Walking path was also nice. Open-air bath and dinner are superb. It is the place where we want to visit again.

  

• mongmongmong

  05 noviembre 2017
  Best hotel experience

  This is the best hotel experience I had. While the staff only spoke limited English, they were very attentive to even the tiniest details during our stay. We booked the Japanese style room and the view was beyond words. The meals served by the Hotel were so great.

  

• llhleon

  12 octubre 2019
  Beautful ryokan. Paradise.

  As many have already noted before me, this is a beautiful ryokan in a more remote part of Matsushima, but with gorgeous views of the Bay. The pluses: 1. The service was top notch. We were welcomed upon arrival by Satai-san? (my apologies for not being sure about spelling) and promptly escorted to our room (Matsuzake) without the usual check-in procedures at the front desk. We were also brought to the dining room at our indicated time. Service with grace. 2. The place, located in an intimate part of Matsushima, is only a 10-minute taxi ride from the nearest station, Takagimachi. The taxi ride cost 1300 Yen, not prohibitively high by Japan standards. 3. The views. Outstanding views. Enough said. 4. Absolute tranquility. I was remarking to my wife we could hear a pin drop. The sound proof in the room worked a treat. 5. Dinner was simply delicious. We had a 7-course kaiseki dinner. Personally, i enjoyed this more than dinner at a two-michelin star estbalishment in tokyo five days earlier. The only minor blot on the copybook was that the grilled dish was served to us as we were finishing our previous sashimi course, but this could be a function of us having dinner in a private room, so wait staff had no knowledge of whether we had finished. Brekky was no slouch either. 6. The surrounding area made for a nice, short stroll through the woods full of pine trees. A couple of things to note: 1. The public bath, has opening/closing hours. We had to make a last minute dash for the bath before checking out, and to beat the clock! 2. There is a shuttle bus service to Takagimachi station, but it leaves at 11.10am. We wanted a bit more time in the ryokan, hence took a taxi instead. In all, we would go back there in a heartbeat.

  

• Anzot

  24 diciembre 2019
  As close as possible to relaxing in beauty and calmness

  We spent here two days in the beginning of November 2019. Service was perfect and non-intrusive, everybody addressed our needs with topmost attention and high effectiveness. Specialty of the hotel is high personal qualities of the people inside: from reception attendants to service persons. We felt like family members, who happen to be back home and warmly welcomed. And all four of us are extremely thankful to Nana Suzuki, who took excellent care about us on every possible occasion! Gob bless you, Nana!