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When looking into staying at the top luxury ryokan in Shodoshima, it came down to a choice between Umioto Mari and its sister property, Shimoyado Mari. The former was newly established in 2019, and we prefer newer rooms with modern amenities and technologies, so we opted for the Umioto Mari. Upon closer inspection, however, the choice turned out to not be so obvious.
First off, whereas Shimoyado is in the heart of the main town, Umioto is about a 5-10 minute car/bus ride away and is in a somewhat secluded spot with a view of the Seto Inland Sea. It's all about preference. And yes - the rooms are newer and fresher at Umioto, judging by the pictures that I've seen of Shimoyado. Price is comparable, so it really comes down to what is important to you.
We chose to stay in one of the two "Hanare" (stand-alone villa) at Umioto. It's slightly more spacious than the standard rooms, at 73 square meters, although we wished that the bedroom and living room were completely separated. Bath wise, the temperature can be set to one's desired temperature, and it will auto regulate for up to 8 hours (the standard room does not have this feature.) The biggest beef we had - and it wasn't published anywhere on the website - was that Umioto's in-room bath is technically not Onsen (natural hot spring water.) Although Shimoyado has it, Umioto does not. When we brought it up with some of the staff members, they mentioned that the owner drilled deep underground but failed to hit the Onsen jackpot. So they have to haul in the Onsen from Shimoyado Mari, and even then, the bath is mixed with Onsen and groundwater. That's too bad! Another bummer - the bath is not free-flowing, meaning you have to fill it up yourself with hot water, so no instant gratifications here. Also, for a new ryokan built from the ground-up, it was somewhat perplexing to see our room only having one sink; dual sinks/vanities are now de rigueur at top ryokans, especially new ones.
Shodoshima is renowned for the quality of Olives produced on the island, and Umioto Mari does a remarkable job in serving kaiseki cuisine that involves Olives (and Olive Oil) in much of its offerings. We wondered whether we would be olived out by the time dinner was over, but it was quite the opposite. It did a great job in enhancing the taste without being too overpowering - it was one of the most memorable ryokan dinners we've ever had. The only drawback has to do with the meal times - for dinner, it's either 17:30 or 19:30, and that's it... no other options. While there are other ryokans that have similar policies, we wished that they showed more flexibility when we were there, given that only 3 of the 6 rooms were occupied and we wished to have our dinner pushed out by 30 minutes to 18:00. Nope, they say. Not sure why not; there is enough seating for 4 groups of guests in the restaurant at any given time (2 tables, and 4 available counter seats.)
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Shodoshima, and felt that Umioto Mari was a nice ryokan to relax and unwind after a day of sightseeing. While it's not perfect, and is not a "destination" property, we felt that it added to the experience - especially the Olive-infused cuisine.
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Date of stay: February 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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I stayed here during a trip to Shodoshima, which I had wanted to visit sometime during the New Year holidays. I was torn between this and Shimayado Mari, which is in the same chain and is located near the Marukin Soy Sauce Memorial Museum, but I decided to book Umino Mari, which opened in 2019 and has a view of the sea. After renting a car in Takamatsu, it takes an hour by ferry, and about 30 minutes by car from Tonosho Port where I disembarked. On the way, I stopped off to see Angel Road, Nakayama Senmaida, Shodoshima Olive Park, and other sightseeing spots. If you have an old car navigation system, you may only see Shimayado Mari when setting your destination, so it's best to be careful. The inn is located on the seafront, away from the tourist spots, and is small, with three rooms in the main building and two annex buildings. All of the rooms are spacious and have a panoramic bath, but this time I stayed at Hanare "Sa no Oto". When you go up from the entrance of the annex and open the door, you will find a spacious room with a bed and living room integrated into one, and you can see the Seto Inland Sea from the large window. The ceilings are high, and the lighting, furniture, and bathroom facilities are unified in a Japanese modern atmosphere. You can see the ocean from the bath, and although it is not a hot spring, it is a sake bath where you can soak in Kagawa's local sake (currently a hot spring facility has opened on the premises). If you go out to the balcony, you can experience the quiet sea of Setouchi, the sound of the waves, and the sea breeze up close, and although you can't see the sunrise or sunset, you can see the ocean from your bed in your room. For dinner, we had the Olive Kaiseki course at the restaurant on the first floor of the main building, which is a creative dish made with seasonal vegetables and fish from Setouchi and the islands, and olive beef, paired with olive oil from Shodoshima and soy sauce brewed in wooden barrels, and each dish was carefully prepared, which is something you can only get at this inn. By the second half of the course, I was quite full, but the sushi they made in front of me was so delicious that I finished it all in no time. For midnight snack, since it was New Year's Eve, they brought warm New Year's Eve soba noodles topped with shrimp tempura to our room, and we spent the New Year's Eve watching the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen on TV for the first time in decades, eating the soba noodles. The next morning's breakfast included some New Year's Day-like dishes such as black beans and herring roe, but it was a simple but carefully selected menu that made use of island ingredients such as rice cooked in a clay pot, fresh vegetables, and tofu. Afterwards, we stopped by the souvenir shop on the premises, which had a selection of Shodoshima specialties other than olive oil and soy sauce, so if you have time, it might be worth taking a look and buying something to remember your trip by. The inn is small in size, but there are only a few rooms, so I felt that the staff provided very attentive service in the rooms and dining area. This was my first time visiting Shodoshima, and although it is a little difficult to get to, it is a good size for a 1-2 day drive and has many tourist attractions, so I would like to return in a different season. At that time, since I was very satisfied with my stay, I will probably be wondering whether to stay at this "Shimayado Mari" again or the other "Shimayado Mari".
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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PRICE RANGE
$1,068 - $1,235 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
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