Dogo Onsen Hotel Tsubakikan

Superb location. Clean comfort

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This was definitely an older 'bubble economy' style hotel but the service level and amenities and rooms were high, not much lower than any Ryokan we stayed in! It's walking distance from the Dogo onsen tram station, through the shopping arcade and then quite a bit more up a slight slope (we had sent our hand luggage from the JR Matsuyama station earlier in the day for 600yen per piece - definitely recommended!) - a nice walk except it was pouring cats and dogs and we were a family of 5 sharing 2 small umbrellas. They spotted us walking over and quickly came to ask my name and prep the front desk with a guy with an umbrella and my reservation ready for check-in. The architecture and the lobby are very Taisho-Roman inspired and they quickly found appropriately sized kid yukata for my 3 kids (no mean feat since this was a 3 year old boy, and 5 and 7 year old girls) complete with cute heko obi and even zori for the kids! Very very cute. We booked a premium room (with hinoki bathtub, Japanese style) and were very impressed by the amenities: 2 separated toilet rooms, the famed hinoki bathtub with direct onsen water tap, two big tatami rooms for our 5 futon, a little sofa area with a humidifier which we used extensively, genkan with kettle, coffee machine (which makes tea as well) and fully filled fridge with mineral water, two different small packs of the famed Mikan juice and I think there might have been beer (we don't drink so I don't recall), all part of the room price. The room came with dinner at the restaurant, all in separated private rooms, full kaiseki style (I distinctly remember this being the full Ryokan treatment even though it was just a hotel). The Iyo beef shabu shabu was melt-in-your-mouth absolutely delicious, and quite a rare beef brand I don't see often exported so a must-try! They also catered very well to my young kids including cute kid chairs and there was even a tv in the private room to entertain them after they were done. The kids meal was equally gorgeous full of kid-friendly dishes. The service by the servers for dinner was impeccable. After dinner the room was turned down with very fluffy and comfy futons, and I managed to sneak off to try the female onsen bath - amazing especially the rotenburo! In the morning breakfast was a buffet which worked out well for us with kids. And they even offered us a shuttle bus ride back to the station (but I believe on their website they stated no shuttle bus to pick you up from the station). We didn't manage to do that much sightseeing in Matsuyama which was a pity because it's a lovely little town (will pick a less rainy timing next time) but all the more we will come back next time and stay here again!