Hot spring Hotels in Yamanouchi

When we booked a 'traditional room' at the Kambayashi Hotel we had hoped for an authentic Japanese Onsen experience - and we certainly got it! The atmosphere of the hotel has a wonderful sense of calm and the room was laid out beautifully with futon beds (which were very comfortable) and thoughtful origami cranes on each pillow. The paper Shoji screens and the original furnishings were stylishly understated - when we opened them in the morning we were met with a spectacular view of gardens and mountains. We had hoped to have our own private Onsen (check this when making your booking) but the separate 'private' Onsens were available at a small additional cost. The outside experience amid the autumn colours was absolutely amazing. Each morning, we had breakfast which in itself was a experience (wearing the Yukatas and sandals provided really adds to the moment) We were offered a selection of Japanese or Western dishes (depending on your choice) each were delicious. There were a few other great eateries in the area for dinner. It was also an unexpected treat to find that the Snow Monkey Park was a short(ish) walk from the hotel, the forest trail added a sense of mystery to our anticipation. Our two nights at Kambayashi Hotel will be remembered forever (perhaps even repeated) We would wholeheartedly recommend it - but I'm also aware that too many visitors may change the serene nature of it! Hopefully a percent balance can be found.

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.

Fantastic stay at a beautiful family run Ryokan. Exceptional hospitality and the most amazing dinner and breakfast. We wanted to experience an old onsen town and were very happy with our choice in Yudanaka. They also offer a free shuttle to the nearby snow monkey park which was wonderful. I would highly recommend this lovely town and particularly Shibu hotel. I think it was very good value for money for the stay which not only included dinner and breakfast but also free drinks in the minibar and in the lobby area.

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.

I’m shocked by any reviews of this architectural treasure where it’s not being given it’s fair marks. No, it’s not a 5 star hotel, but it is 5 stars in a unique very Japanese experience teeming with history!! The rooms are simple but elegant and super clean. The provided dinner and breakfast are excellent and again — another experience in tradition of this culture. Don’t skip the history tour of the Ryokan. It’s very informative and gives you insight to all the unique floors, windows and lighting. It’s very easy to get lost inside this place!! It’s like a fun house wrapped in a tree house laid out like a maze and it takes a few (ok — a LOT) of trips around the horn to find your way anywhere. I felt a personal victory when I finally found my way back to my room! So let’s talk about the hot springs, cuz that’s probably why you’re here right? HOT is an understatement. The water in these baths is about 120ºF. That is really hot and if you are like me and find a hot tub at 104º a little too warm, good luck with these! After 10+ minutes, I managed to get halfway in, but I couldn’t take it very long. The interior baths of the Ryokan were beautiful, but we preferred the outside rooftop one just because the cold night air helped with the overall tolerability of that hot water. Venturing out about the town at night in your robe and wooden shoes is also part of the adventure. It’s so cute when the village is lit up. You get a public bath map and a master key from the Inn that lets you access any of those public baths as you walk around. After seeing the cool baths of the inn, the ***** ones were just OK. There’s a foot soak spot however that we loved. It has a cold water faucet you can turn on while in there to make the water temp just perfect for you!!! I just loved our stop here. It’s a 1 night/2 max stay if you’re on a travel itinerary around Japan.

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.

Wonderful place to stay with such accomdating people. The room was super spacious and clean. Plus the views from the balcony were amazing. It was so nice to relax at the onsite onsen at the end of the day. I'm excited to come back when I'm in the area again. I would highly recommend it, a great price for an excellent stay! The owner even took a picture with us and sent a follow up email with it attached. Made it such a memorable experience.

Absolutely stunning ryokan Our corner room had great views of the surrounding mountains (the town has 360 degrees of mountain views) The private onsen was a real treat just get in when ever you wanted. Amazing food and the staff were super friendly and very accommodating, even the hotels owner stops to have a chat with all the guests. Only down side for us, is we didn’t book extra nights there!

There is a shuttle bus to and from Yudanaka Station, and a bus to the Snow Monkey Park the next morning. Since we had to take the electric train back to Nagano after going to the Snow Monkey Park, we chose to let the hotel transport our luggage to the station for storage first. This is a paid service, but the price is the same as taking our luggage to the Snow Monkey Park to store it, which saves us the trouble of pulling it back and forth in the snow. If you need this, you can refer to it. Back to the hotel, the staff's service attitude has been very good since the pick-up and drop-off at the station. Even though the English communication is not very smooth, they have been patiently answering our questions. The dinner and breakfast were very rich, which was a surprise for us who have stayed in hot spring hotels many times. The free hot spring pool is not big, one indoors and one outdoor. If you don’t have a reservation, we won’t comment. Just a few minutes' walk away is Shibuya Onsen. There are also good hot spring hotels there, but the whole hot spring town feels a bit depressed, but it's nice to have less people.

The hotel has arranged for vehicles to pick up and drop off at Tangtianzhong Station. Although the building is old, the service staff are very kind. The fly in the ointment is that the water in the Volkswagen Pool Hot Spring is too hot to go down. There is also the entrance of the hotel to the Hell Valley Wild Monkey Park, but the return journey needs to take the bus to the station near the hotel. The environment of the day, the wind and snow began to blow, and the hotel really experienced a lot of hardships.