SHIROYAMA HOTEL kagoshima

Views from the Shiroyama are a special feature, including sunrise over Sakurajima. Our meal in the Japanese restaurant was high quality, as was the breakfast buffet. The outdoor onsen was pretty special too with more night-time views.

This is a large hotel so breakfast become something of a zoo. Parking is a bit of a hassle in a separate building, which required a shuttle transfer back but we could walk there on check-out.

The breakfast buffet was superb with too many wonderful choices. The outdoor onsen with the full view of Sakurajima (the breakfast hall also has the same view) cannot be beat. With the large hotel, there were many shopping choices (Family Mart convenience store, bakery, half a dozen restaurants, and gift shop) onsite.

The facility was a lot larger than anticipated. Due to the size, it did not feel cozy or personal, and we did a lot of walking within the hotel to get from Point A to Point B. In contrast to the wonderful breakfast variety and quality, we felt rushed to get in line and eat quickly due to the crowd. The staff were mostly professional and polite but did not feel overly friendly.

This hotel is huge, very well maintained, with the most amazing views (from both the breakfast patio and the onsen !) of the city below and the volcano across the bay. A regular, convenient shuttle bus runs between the train and coach stations and the hotel. Good bed and bedding. Excellent breadth of food available at breakfast. The onsen is an absolute 'must try'. Far bigger than most, indoor and outdoor, with the most spectacular views from the latter.

Later breakfast sittings could get busy, but earlier slots are available. Otherwise, nothing to dislike.

The hotel is embraced by beautiful and tranquil environment. All staff provided excellent services; friendly, patient and helpful. The breakfast is excellent and value for money. The frequency of the shuttle bus is adequate. The open onsen is comfortable with beautiful view.

The decor of the room is a bit old and tardy. The water closet is very old style; still operated manually, not match with the standard of the hotel. The bathtub is very slippery which is dangerous to the old people, suggest to add a bath mat on it. The location of the hotel is remote from the city centre, it takes at least half an hour by shuttle bus.

Location is fantastic, it's lovely to be able to see Sakurajima from the terrace. I didn't go for a room with a view of it (because it was eye-wateringly expensive in comparison) but you can see it from the breakfast bar and if you wander outside. Shuttles to / from the hotel are regular so if you're without a car, as I was, it's fine. Alternatively the walk up the hill isn't that bad and good if you want to burn off some ramen calories. Onsen is great as well.

I can't fault it really. It's a "big" hotel so you get the impression there are lots of business conferences and banquets going on etc, but that's par for the course in a place like this.

Unbeatable location with tremendous views of the city and volcano, which are constantly changing. The volcano even gave a small eruption on the morning of our departure. 4-star hotel but with 5-star facilities and service. A great bar with views over the city/volcano. Friendly and helpful staff. Very useful free shuttle bus (a proper bus, with lots of room, not a minibus) to the city centre and station every hour. Handy convenience store in the basement. Good combination and selection of western and Japanese breakfast dishes in the restaurant.

Bar closed early (2230-2300). It was impossible to find the shuttle bus stop at the station when arriving by train, so we needed to take a taxi instead. It's only when you take the bus from the hotel that the various stops to get on/off are clear. The size and layout of the hotel make it a little confusing to find anything, but after a while things become clearer.

Obviously we loved the onsen and view of the volcano. it was gorgeous and beautiful. We enjoyed the free shuttle bus, convenient store in the hotel, and lounge bar. We got lucky and was able to have lunch at the property without a reservation in one of the restaurants on the first floor and it was delicious (expensive) but very delicious! With a great experience.

Our room smelt wet and had an odor. Very clean and comfy just had an off smell. We were excited to come to the hotel because it had tons of restaurants to make it convenient to stay and relax. Sadly every restaurant needed at least two days advance notice for a reservation so we had to take the shuttle bus into the city which we wanted a staycation style stay. Guests should be told about this ahead of time so they can make reservations at the restaurants. Also, we did not expect the hotel to be so overwhelming. It was like a convention center and everywhere was highly expensive, so if you’re looking for something a little more quaint - this definitely isn’t it.

the onsen with a view of the volcano is incredible. the service and staff were the best of anywhere we have stayed- really top class staff. be aware- we didn’t realize how nice of a hotel it was and felt quite underdressed when we arrived! great people-watching at the bars. everything you need is in the hotel, restaurants, convenience store, bakery- this is really useful because it’s at the top of a very big hill in Kagoshima. the hotel shuttle works great but we took the local tourist bus more often to get to the hotel as it was more frequent.

did not allow any early check in for us, even by 1 hour which was a shame as we’d been traveling all day and wanted to freshen up. they do say they have a gym but it’s a hefty fee to use. we saw no vegetarian options in any of the in-house hotel restaurants- so had to get dinner from the convenience store as it was raining too hard to walk down the hill into town :(

Brilliant location, unique and somewhat "old school" atmosphere in the building, staff was courteous and professional at all times. I was especially impressed with the careful attention to dietary requirements. One guest (me) was vegetarian, and although it is not easy to reconcile a vegetarian diet with traditional Japanese cuisine, in the morning I enjoyed a version of Japanese breakfast that was delicious, beautiful and simply amazing. This is not a cheap hotel but the stay is worth every yen. Highly recommended.

Large hot spring (onsen) and facilities were great. The outdoor hot spring boasts a view of the Volcano Sakurajima. Breakfast buffet was amazing with their huge selection of choices. It is an old, famous hotel in Kagoshima and it has history. Everywhere including our rooms were spotlessly clean. It also has a convenience store.

It is a small distance from the city so a short taxi ride is necessary.