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Sep 16, 2023

Hotel Review: Hoshino Resorts Kai Enshu

Posted on April 20, 2023 by theRantingPanda in Hotel Review The Hotel I love

Posted on April 20, 2023 by theRantingPanda in Hotel Review

The Hotel I love the Hoshinoya brand since my first stay at Hoshinoya Fuji and Hoshino Resorts Kai Enshu located in Hamamatsu caught my attention while I was trying to decide which property under the group to check out for my recent Spring trip to Japan. Two main reasons why I decided to check out Hoshino Resorts Kai Enshu, the first being I have not been to Hamamatsu or the Shizuoka region before, and secondly, this ryokan resort has a strong tea theme as part of the property's activities and positioning. Given that I do enjoy Japanese tea in general, I thought that it would be a very interesting stay.

Hoshino Resorts Kai Enshu is located right beside Lake Hamana and the great part is that all 33 rooms in the property overlook Lake Hamana. If you drive, there are ample parking lots on site.

The lobby of the hotel is elegant with plenty of seats to take a rest. I was ushered by the staff to my room within minutes, as the check-in process is done in the room itself instead of the lobby reception.

The Room I booked the modern Japanese-style Room with Lake View FA4 category, and it is a spacious 40 sqm size. The first thing I was drawn to is the gorgeous view of the lake which is nicely framed like a painting by the wooden sliding windows.

There are four small Japanese chairs over the ryukyu tatami mats where you can enjoy a cup of tea and enjoy the view. In fact, my check-in process was done in the comfort of my room, where the friendly staff helped to make a welcome green tea in my room as well.

This room comes with comfortable twin beds and there are ample charging points right beside the bed. Other notable amenities in the room include a TV, Humidifier, Refrigerator, Room wear, Japanese tea set, Electric kettle, Minibar, Room safe and Furoshiki Wrapping cloth.

The bathroom is right at the entrance of the room and is designed in such a way where the toilet is on one side, while the standing shower zone and dressing room with the sink is on the other side.

Overall, I do think that the room is very well-maintained, and it has a pretty good layout where there is ample space in the bedroom section.

The Facilities Being a hot spring ryokan, the onsen compound in this property is relatively huge. There are two onsen themes which interchange from day to day for male and female, so you will definitely get to experience two different onsen styles if you stay for one night.

I like that both onsen themes have an indoor and outdoor section, and it was not crowded at all during my stay.

One of the highlights is the large wooden outdoor tub which is filled with green tea extracts.

The changing room size at the onsen is also very spacious and well-equipped with towels of various sizes, a proper dressing room and ample compartments to store your belongings.

While you walk to the onsen, you will also walk past the Tea Garden, a courtyard filled with azaleas and the region's ubiquitous tea plants, which is also visible from the room.

Every Kai establishment offers a selection of free activities designed to introduce guests to Japan's regional cultures. For tea lovers (it would be a pity to stay here if you do not drink tea), there are a couple of complimentary tea activities for guests.

I went for the afternoon Green Tea masterclass after I checked in where a tea master conducts a short tea appreciation class at the tea lounge.

The Tea Lounge "Bicharaku" in the Travel library has elevated tatami-floored seating areas where you can take off your shoes and relax with a view of Lake Hamana and Tea Garden.

In the Tea Cellar in the library, you can choose from 13 types of tea to enjoy in your room or at the lounge. This is a great perk at this property, and you can think of it like a green tea liquid buffet. That said, there is also hojicha which tastes really good.

There are also "Tea Stand" with a selection of cold-brew tea.

In the evening post dinner hour, there is a complimentary pairing of tea and sake at the lounge called "Ochake" which is nice to have before retiring for the night.

The Restaurants I booked a half board room for my stay which includes breakfast and dinner. The dining room overlooks Lake Hamana, so I highly recommend you to reserve the limited window tables if possible, which is perfect for couples. There are also semi-private room seating for bigger groups.

For dinner, I was served a standard multi-course kaiseki meal where you can expect the likes of sashimi and an assortment of individual dishes.

For breakfast, the presentation is lovely where it is served in a teabox-style bento box where there are tea leaves below the dishes for an added tea aroma.

There is also a small pot of boiling miso soup with clams and sea lettuce for sharing, which is perfect to start the day.

Rants I realise that most ryokans in Japan do not come with a fitness centre. Is this the Japanese way of making their guests feel more relaxed?

Overall Experience I had a pleasant and relaxing stay at Hoshino Resorts Kai Enshu where the service is generally very good. The view from the room is awesome while the quality of food is pretty decent for a ryokan. Good range of tea activities and onsen facilities if you just want to have a slow and relaxing stay, where I did not even step out of the property during my one-night stay.

Hoshino Resorts Kai Enshu Japan, 〒431-1209 Shizuoka, Hamamatsu, Nishi Ward, Kanzanjicho, 399-1 星野リゾート界遠州

For more information, check out Hoshino Resorts Kai Enshu Website.

Ranted by The Ranter