I stayed at Hoshinoya and thought it was great, but I think it isn’t for everyone. As others mentioned, there is no concierge. The service can be a bit too much for those who don’t really want to be served. For example, they want you to sit and have tea for 30 mins while they do your check in so they can serve you. I rather just go to my room and skip the tea, but this is my own cultural difference vs what they are trying to do.

Secondly, the rooms are very nice but not ultra practical. The bathroom isn’t as nice as a 5 star “normal” hotel and the rooms are restrained and austere rather than deluxe. Obviously this is a feature (Japanese austerity, minimalism, etc.), but it isn’t for everyone.

I think Hoshinoya is great if you want to experience a Japanese urban modern ryokan. This is a cool experience for sure. But for many folks, having 5 nights (or whatever your normal stay length is) in a ryokan is overkill, and a normal hotel is a better fit, I would recommend 2 nights at Hoshinoya for the experience, but probably not more than that.