Sinonomesou Kinosaki Onsen

Good onsen ryokan, but service was disappointing.
We booked a room with a private bathroom, which costs more than rooms without one. I even contacted the property before arrival to confirm this, and they said yes. But when we checked in, we were given a room without a private bathroom and told to use the public bath instead.
We explained that our booking included a private bathroom. After some hesitation, they finally changed us to the correct room.
At check-out, we were charged more than what was shown on Japanican. This was not the bath tax. Since we do not speak Japanese, we tried to explain in English and used Google Translate. The staff became frustrated and gave us unpleasant looks.
This was not the kind of service we expected from Japan. The place is nice, but the attitude and handling were poor.

Located almost at the center of the town, a short stroll to all 7 of the local onsens. Valet services are available for our car.
Check-in was smooth, and we were greeted warmly by a mix of local and international staff. Rooms were large and spacious, we got the package that comes with dinner and breakfast, they gave us a free bottle of sake too.
Service staff were prompt and polite, went in to our rooms to set up/ remove the mattresses during our meal times. As we were a large group, we had our meals at the function room next to ours (meals are usually served to your rooms)
The crab-dinner that came with our package was the best experience anyone could ask for they showcased every possible way the crab could be enjoyed — in a private room, with everything you need prepared for you.
The food by the way, was amazing.

The place is really nice. I thought the facilities were pretty decent. It’s an older place so just keep that in mind. There were some other reviews that gave 1 star because they opened the back of their toilet and found some mold, I mean, I guess sure…. If you’re being super thorough, you can find things like that but this isn’t a 5 star hotel. I do agree however with the moldy walls in the wash area by the indoor onsen. But the temperature was really warm and with the constant water, I can understand how it happens. I don’t think it’s at a critical level, there were some splotches here and there, they probably can clean it a little more frequently. The hotel however has some amazing visuals and the food is superb. I think that part is unbeatable. It’s also very children friendly. A worker will go into your room to set up beds while you eat so just be aware of that. Also if you bring your own alcohol, you have to pay a fee. I was surprised with that at check out. They also serve beer and alcohol so I guess that was fair. One of the older female managers is very nice, the other one’s a little more stern. She wasn’t rude but just wasn’t on the par of other service members in the country. I gave them a four star rating because I thought the other staff members were very polite and nice. These included the servers, the person who poured us tea when we arrived, and the cleaning staff.

My first ryokan experience was so blissful.
From the full dinner and breakfast, 2 relaxing onsen, amazing futon (which I slept comfortably without waking up in the middle of the night), and sweet and helpful staff, it was truly extraordinary. The ryokan may not be new but it was well maintained.
The staff and owners, though with language barrier, were very attentive and considerate. We were able to communicate with my basic nihongo ang their vwry limited english.
The kind obachan even fixed my hoodie when I didn't accept their offer of using umbrella since it was snowing.
Truly a gem in Kinosaki Onsen.

Shinonomesou is one of the most amazing places I have ever stayed! Every staff member is so nice and accommodating. The food was amazing, the room was beautiful and very comfortable, and the location is perfect. I had an amazing and unforgettable experience. I would stay again!

TLDR; Pros: free pass to access 7 public onsens, staff were friendly but due to language barrier people could perceive main lady as rude but we don’t think she intended to be unfriendly.
Cons: Rooms are heavily outdated and has a strong stench that latched onto our clothes for days until we used a fabric softener. Sad to say I would not recommend this Ryokan. No one is monitoring customer service via email as my past two messages weren’t acknowledged either.
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For some reason I am unable to write a review in booking. Com for this one particular ryokan, so I’ll post it here. Location wise, it isn’t on the main road so it’s very quiet and is situated a bit further from the station (approx 6 min walk, but with heavy luggages and a narrow walk path/crowding, it may add more minutes to your walk). You won’t get a nice view either unless you stay on the main road! However, it is a walking distance to most of the public onsens around Kinosaki. This ryokan provided a free pass which allows you to enter the 7 public onsens, it’s unlimited entry during your stay there (correct me if I’m wrong)
According to the reviews on the booking website and here, travellers have stated the main lady and staff weren’t accommodating and friendly. The main lady was friendly and assisted us as much as possible with little to no English, so please be patient with them. The staff are non-Japanese but speak English well, however they did lack a bit of customer service.

The lady who runs this establishment is the rudest person in Japan! She doesn't care one little bit about her customers and completely ruined our stay. And… the Futon's were paper thin so you're sleeping on the floor with pillows that were similar to lumps of concrete. Our Futons were packed away for us one morning and no one ever came back later to re make them. A Yukata in our room for us was covered in old brown stains, we were told categorically we couldn't have breakfast or dinner as it wasn't part of our room booking and on arrival we were given no information at all. We were just rudely shown to our room which was clearly an inconvenience to the staff member. It was truly worse than Faulty Towers! This hotel does not deserve your money so please book elsewhere! We would never go back!

Don't let Japanese reviewers deter you from booking this lovely ryokan. It was everything I wanted from my first ryokan experience, and at a very reasonable price. The room was cosy and spacious, I had my own toilet and sink, everything was spotlessly clean and equipment worked perfectly. The owner, a charming lady aged like fine wine, was very patient and kind despite a bit of a language barrier, and the employees who took care of me, especially the two younger ones who spoke some English, were truly sweet and made my day. Kaiseki dinner and breakfast were plentiful and delicious, a true feast for the senses. I highly recommend Sinonomesou, it was definitely the highlight of my trip. Love from Slovenia! 🥰