Nice hotel close to Miyajimaguchi Train Station ( 3 minutes walking) and Miyajima Ferry station (1-minute walking :-D ). The room was nothing special, but good for staying there for two nights and discovering Miyajima, Hiroshima, and Kure. Breakfast was very good, including local dishes.
I have never before walked into a hotel room and refused to leave because of the view but I did at this beautiful ryokan. Jukeiso is something special, set on the hill next to the famous O-Torii gate on the island. We were met at the ferry terminal and taken through the town to the ryokan, where we were met by more wonderfully attentive staff who gave us the warmest of welcomes and insisted on taking our bags, something I always feel guilty about. While we checked in, one member of staff even cleaned the wheels of our suitcase, which I'd say goes above and beyond. We were shown up to our room and we were quite blown away. The room had windows on two sides looking on to the bay where the O-Torii gate is. The room itself was a traditional Japanese one with tatami mats in the main room and futons which were laid out for us when we went for dinner. This being Japan, there were of course all modern conveniences including charging points, adaptors, spotlessly clean facilities, a TV and small kitchen area but the main draw was the stupendous view. We were given tea and invited to settle in and I didn't move until the evening. I just sat in the window looking at the view. The ryokan is located right in the town centre, down a flight of stairs. It is also about a five minute walk from the O-Torii gate. In the evening, we went down for dinner. I am a vegan and my wife had advised them of this. In response they had made clear that they were very happy to cater for me, which they did with aplomb. We were treated to a seven course meal which, for most residents was very heavily based around fish and seafood, with some of the area's famous oysters served as a starter. I was given equivalent dishes throughout and thoroughly enjoyed them all, although we were given so much that I was unable to finish my meal. The staff were attentive and helpful throughout. My only comment on their wonderful service is that they might have helped us poor foreigners with a description of the delicious food we were served. As with many traditional guest houses in Japan, the ryokan had a communal bathing area and an outdoor onsen which could be booked for free for half an hour. My wife enjoyed this on her own as I didn't want to rush her. Beautiful yucata were provided for bathers to wear after their relaxation time. We returned to our room to find that the futons had been laid out and we spent much of the evening simply sitting at the window before going to sleep. In the morning, we were able to get up and down to the O-Torii gate before all the tourists had arrived, which was a real treat. Breakfast was once again excellent with my wife and son enjoying a traditional one which, once again, was very fish and seafood dependent. As the unadventurous type - and a vegan - I had a traditional European breakfast of tea, toast, fruit and a small salad, which was just what I wanted. We left in the morning and the wonderful staff looked after our bags, deliverin
Good points: 1. Location is amazing since it’s right on the island and everything is within walking distance. 2. We had breakfast and supper included in the stay. Food was varied and plentiful for most palates. Plenty of fruit and veg too. 3. Staff for 98% of the time was great. Language barriers are expected. Google translate is a perfect alternative to the translation issue. The front desk staff were awesome and was extremely helpful. 4. Room is spacious for a traditional Japanese hotel. We had our own onsen which was delightful. The beds were mostly comfortable and we had two full mattresses pushed together creating a massive king! 5. Once you enter the hotel you must take off your shoes and the hotel provides house slippers which generally fit most people. The lobby has shoe cubbies for your shoes. They do not lock, but Japan has very little petty theft so you don’t need to fret over potential thievery. Negative points: 1. This is of no fault of the hotel, rather it’s a Google maps problem. Be aware Google maps will basically have you climb the mountain and drag your suitcase through a dirt path. Instead put in the Miyajima post office and with the water to your right, turn up to the small road with the post office to your back. Keep going straight for about 2.5 city blocks and you’ll walk right into the hotel. Much easier than the 40 minute hike we took. 2. Restaurant staff on the whole were great. Only issue was this morning when we went to breakfast this morning and tried to sit in our usual table, the staff tried to sit us with some other people. I asked if we could sit at a different table and the individual said no and walked away. We didn’t know these people they tried to sit us with. However, they were tourists like us. I was frustrated because the staff member just walked away from us when I was still speaking to him. Very rude! 3. The toilet room smelled really bad. It was a combination of mold and chemicals.