Yamanouchi Hostels

Small and cute place to be. Once you get to the train station or bus stop, give them a call and they will come pick you up. You can walk if you want, but it does go uphill a little bit if you have suitcase with you. Staff is really nice and accommodating. We did have one of our friends ending up pregnant on the trip after we had booked the trip and she was not able to eat many of the foods. They were really nice and worked with what she could eat and even gave her a little omamori (like a charm) for her healthy and safe pregnancy and birth. Would recommend to others. The individual onsen in each room is wonderful and if you want to have more people gather together, get the bigger rooms. Mt. Fuji is visible but understand that it depends on time of day and season. Due to the smaller space, there is only one area to gather downstairs, which is also where you check in. Not a big deal for us, but for those who wants like a whole area to walk around in the hotel, then may want to look at those bigger hotels.

On such a hot day, there is no air-conditioning on the 4th floor. I vaguely feel that there is discrimination in the room booked through Ctrip. The next day we negotiated to change to the 6th floor.

I recently stayed at Shibu Hotel in Yamanochi, Nagano, and it exceeded my expectations. The service was excellent, with a very helpful English-speaking staff. The complementary drinks in the room fridge and lobby were a nice touch. The rooms were clean and spacious, perfect for oversized luggages The free shuttle to the snow monkey park and Yamaneda Train Station was convenient. Access to public onsens added to the overall experience. They also provide a Yukata that you can use. Just a tip: book in-house meals in advance to avoid missing out as they tend to fill up quickly. Overall a highly recommended stay.

From the moment you enter Kokuya Ryokan, be prepared to leave the real world behind and fully immerse yourself in the experience. You swap your shoes for slippers at the door and don’t see them again until you leave. You will receive a warm welcome from polite and gentle-mannered staff, get taken up to your beautiful room, and once you’ve changed into your traditional yukata, it’s time to let the relaxation begin. The multi-course dinner will probably be one of the best meals you’ve had in your life, with many unusual textures and flavors to try. The futons are comfortable, and your room is kept toasty warm. There are even skincare products to keep you pampered and moisturized between soaks in the onsen. Honestly, you won’t even need to open your suitcase while you’re there. The staff will take you through all the logistics when you arrive, but there are some things that might be useful to know in advance. - The ryokan sends a shuttle to Yudanaka station at about 15:00 to collect new arrivals, so time your journey to take advantage of this benefit. - The ryokan also offers guests the opportunity to catch a shuttle to the Snow Monkey Park immediately after breakfast the next morning. - After you leave the ryokan, they will take your luggage down to the coffee shop opposite the station, so you don’t need to worry about those logistics. - Trains from Yudanaka back to Nagano leave at 12:30 and 15:30. - The ryokan itself has several private onsens that you can reserve for a 45-minute slot. Because the onsens are on the property, you can go in with your partner or travel companions regardless of gender. It’s a boutique hotel, so you don’t have to worry about not getting access to all the onsens you want. - The ryokan is on the main road of the Shibu Onsen town. The hotel will give you a key so you can wonder down the main road, visiting any of the public onsens you wish - however, with so many gorgeous and more private onsens in the hotel itself, you probably won’t have time or the desire for this. - Also, there is a coffee machine in the room! (I was worried about having to survive without coffee, and this turned out to be an unfounded concern). We had an incredible and totally indulgent time at Kokuya. Experiencing a traditional ryokan is a privilege that you should try at least once if you can. And adding the Snow Monkeys in give the trip a double purpose, making it that much more memorable. The only thing that would have made the trip better is if we had been allowed to linger longer over every course of our dinner.

This is a very small town and although we’ve seen many foreigners visiting this town and this hotel on Youtube (one of the reasons we decided to stay here), it is very foreigner ‘unfriendly’ to say the least. It seemed hotel staff only spoke Japanese, so if you don’t speak it, it will be very difficult to enjoy the amenities. Staff were nice, but not very flexible (strictly by the rules, we supposed) thus not as accommodating as other ryokans we’ve stayed in. Dinner was very nicely presented and tasty…so many dishes that we couldn’t finish all (& we are big eaters) …felt bad leaving food untouched :(. The 9 Onsen tour was on my Bucket List and we got that done in less than an hour not by choice but because the water was soooooooo hot that we couldn’t even stick our feet in…almost scorched the bottom of my feet from. Very disappointing :(.

Usually I research for weeks before a trip but this was a last minute opportunity to see the snow monkeys. My train ticket was held up and so I wasn't sure I would be able to go so booked this on the train wifi on the way there. They responded quickly to a query and the key things for me were near the train station, free shuttle to the monkey park and restaurant on site. I wanted to try an Onsen so had already decided on a Royokan. The twin room was spacious and the beds comfortable. I was close to the Womens bathroom so very convient. All areas were spotlessly clean. Being winter the heating system was very effective. I could not have been happier with my choice. The staff were extremely friendly and gave me valuable advice for my first time dip. The Royokan if perfectly placed to wander to the 9 Onsen in the village and only a couple of doors from a very expensive looking hotel. I was too tired to try the restaurant in the evening but the breakfast was a great way to start the day. My only disappointment is that I could not stay longer. I would happily return to the area and if I do, I will definitely stay here again.

This Ryokan is located in a traditional Onsen village, with a nice, peaceful & old quaint atmosphere. There are many ( think it's 9) public onsens in the area which guests can also use, besides the inhouse one. Room is typical ryokan with tatami bed & inroom bath. Place is very clean. Service is par excellence! Very warm & friendly staff ( few speak English) all round makes you feel welcome. Staff will set up your bed( tatami) while one have their dinner. Traditional set Breakfast & Dinner (included) are very good quality, very traditional & excellent . Great inhouse onsen. Hotel can pick/send guests from/to train station ( from 1.30pm onwards only) . Also one way to Monkey Park. Easy bus access on main road. Only negative thing is this Ryokan is located at the end of a long uphill walk along the onsen village ( tough dragging heavy luggages or even just walking back). We arrive around 11am, so they can't pick us from train station. Took a bus & walk up & waited. Thankfully the nice lady ( think she is the owner) came to open door earlier to put our luggages. But no big issue. Lots of shops were not opened but some opened later in evening. Great experience not to be missed.

The accommodation was amazing value for money. The futons were very comfy with the pillows were soft. There are three indoor hot springs you can use: one private, one public for men and another public for women. The onsen was refreshing and you can easily adjust the temperature. The host, Mr. Yumoto was extremely helpful and kind. He also fetched us for free to the snow monkey park. Definitely worth a stay if you want the quality ryokan experience at a budget.