Wanosato

We stayed in May of last year: Absolutely horrific Ryokan. The worst we've ever stayed out of dozens of dozens we've stayed this year alone. We were treated differently and service was cold, literally did not exist most of the time. Hotel grounds were small and muddy and so hard to walk on! Especially with Japanese sandals. The rooms look like they're actually *******. The bathroom is moldy, had bugs all over it. It was beyond disgusting and looks like from two centuries ago. Room had no real porch or balcony once you're out the back door. Location is well out of the way on a highway. Food was very very mediocre for such an expensive resort. Lobby had sand all over the ground and smelled of strong incense. There were no individual rooms for dining either as shown online. It is a hotel that only caters to clueless first time foreign visitors. I've never seen so much foreign clientele as opposed to locals ones in my 10+ visits to Japan which makes a strange dynamic. Also never saw the owner during our time there. The shuttle bus driver didn't care about us at all and nearly left without us both times pickup and return. Worst hotel/ryokan I've ever stayed in Japan

For the high price we paid for a private bungalow suite, we expected a little more from this Ryokan. The room was spacious and beautiful and there was attention to detail with traditional kimonos and a personal coffee machine, yet the room was full of cobwebs, in fact if you are arachnophobic like me you will have trouble staying here because there are spiders, cobwebs and spider eggs everywhere. I understand this is in the middle of a forest, but there is no reason for so many insects to nest inside undisturbed. Another thing we didn’t like was that our bathtub was rotten, moldy and even had mushrooms growing on it. The shared onsen’s wood was also moldy and full of dangerous splinters. the staff was kind and helpful but they speak near to no English, so did the entertainment. The meals were gourmet and very high quality, and with the breathtaking views of the stream and the peace and quiet of the facility in general we felt like we still enjoyed our stay but overall for the price paid we would expect a higher qualify of service and cleaning/maintenance.

Beautiful ryokan! Highly recommended if you have a car, so you can explore the area (1-2 hour drives). The suite I stayed in, in the main building, was very comfortable. The service was impeccable and everyone was super friendly. The food was outstanding. The views to the river are awesome. The onsen is fantastic. I would definitely return.