Pangsapuri di Matsumoto

This was a stopover hotel for our tour of Japan. It's well-located, walking distance to the railway station. The hotel carpark is small and we ended up in a garage about a 7-minute walk away. (10-minute if you have luggage.) We ended up in the executive floor. The rooms were all right in size. The major plus is the 14th floor executive lounge. We were there on New Year Day but ALL the restaurants that looked decent said they would only allow us in with reservations. We had not expected that. Fortunately, we had a good fill at the lounge, went to MacDonald's (across the road from the Railway Station) for a burger and then returned to the Lounge to top up with drinks. Although it was near the closing time for the lounge, still the staff topped up the food. Breakfast was pretty good. But the dining area is somewhat small. So we had to wait 10 minutes. They do have a picnic arrangement, which was pretty charming. Staff were friendly, things worked. Yes, I would recommend this.

This was one of the more ‘traditional’ hotels in which we stayed. It was on the older side. Our room was in what was described as the annexe. It was a Nice room of decent size. As is typical in Japan everything was provided plus the extra bonus of chargers and a blue tooth speaker if wanted. It was the only hotel during our stay to provide a Nespresso machine. . Very traditional pyjamas i Liked the room as there was a lobby area in which we could accommodate and easily access suitcases without falling over them. There was a Decent size bathroom with a small bath and shower. The whole room was very clean except for some mould on bathroom tiles. The Shower is good if your height is up to about 6’ 2”. Shower head holes needed bit of lime scale cleaning to flow better. Please note- the shower is in deep raised bath. This was Harder for a short person to get in and out. I Thought I would slip so installation of a grab handle or step would be very helpful. The Beds were very comfortable and the single beds are 4’ which is a good size. The Room did get cold but good heating provided. Plenty of plugs. Room was Very quiet. Breakfast mainly traditional Japanese but some limited western food available. Very good Japanese breakfast. Public baths are on site . There is free Shuttle departing at fixed times to the station which you pre book. Suggest you book the night before. There is a small Cafe attached to the hotel with a small shop. Good atmosphere. Very helpful staff. Location within walking distance of anything you want to see in Matsumoto and the station.

The staff, service, facilities, and room were top notch. Once our stay was booked, we received an email questionnaire. We are both vegan and they accommodated our preference. asking for our preferences. You can select between Japanese and French cuisine. We both opted for Japanese. When we arrived, they staff greeted us kindly and it was a delightful surprise to be led into a room filled with Christmas decorations. We booked the ”Standard Zen Suite” and were not disappointed. It comes with your own private indoor-outdoor onsen. It was heaven. If you are new to onsen, they also provide helpful instructions upon arrival that you can read. It was my absolute favorite onsen experience. There are three different onsens for guests, each separated by gender. They also provide popsicles, hot/cold tea, in addition to the standard shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hair tonic, skin lotion etc. When we were there they had two shuttles which ran from Matsumoto Station to pick you up. One at 3:15 pm and another at 4:30 pm. We would both love to return!

This ryokan was a surprising discovery. It's 3-star rating did not reflect the outstanding value it delivered. The Oiwakeya is a spotlessly clean and has an enduring aesthetic that fully conveys the ryokan experience (tatami lined rooms; comfortable futons; shoji screens; exceptional and visually stunning dinners and breakfasts; an invigorating onsen (hot spring pool) ; and much more). Most importantly, the staff, without exception, were extremely courteous, helpful, patient and many of them communicated effectively in English. The ryokan is located on the outskirts of Matsumoto . . . a short 15 min bus ride (the nearest stop was an easy one minute walk). It was situated in a quiet neighborhood. Already missing it . . . and would definitely want to come back !

No shower available inside the room, we need to use the hot spring. However, the water was not hot enough! I found two Japanese ladies use both indoor and outdoor hot spring just for few minutes and then left with disappointment. The food qualities of both dinner and breakfast were not up to the standards of “Onsen” hotels in Japan at this price level I had gone before. Unfortunately this hotel is the only one available for booking on Trip.com near the area of Kamicochi. Will not recommend to anyone.

It’s our first trip to Nagano and we wanted to stay at some place convenient. Chanced upon Cafe & Stay CASTANA and what a gem it was ! It’s very easy to locate and right next to a huge Tsuruya Supermarket and walking distance to restaurants, shops etc. Everything was right at our doorstep! The Awaji room we booked had 3 single beds and it’s very clean and almost brand new since it just opened in 2019 and right after was the pandemic. There is a small fridge, microwave oven, kettle, cutleries and bowls, plates and everything you need for a comfortable stay. The room also has a small dining table so we can easily buy food from Tsuruya to reheat and eat if we feel too tired to explore out. The in-house Cafe is also cozy and tastefully decorated and there are a huge range of magazines on traveling etc. The coffee was fantastic as well. Kaneda San, Sachie San and the entire Castana team are very friendly and helpful with recommendations and great restaurant reservations! Kaneda San also spoke perfect English too. We had a great stay in Castana and a wonderful time in Nagano ! With this price point and very convenient location, it’s really hard to beat! We will happily recommend to anyone and will not hesitate to be back the next time we travel to Nagano again :) Thank you for everything, Team Castana !