Hotel Romantik di Yamanouchi

We stayed 2 nights at this delightful ryokan. We chose a western style room with a private onsen. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and more than we had imagined. Our room was quite large, and had an outdoor onsen with a spectacular view of the mountains. The meals were fresh and delicious, especially the amazing fish. The owner, Yuki, is so gracious and very accommodating to any need you might have, from a ride to the train, to whisking you off to the snow monkey park (we saw over 100 monkeys), or taking you to a massage appointment. Yuki takes immense pride in her hotel and it truly shows!

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.

We went as a triple generation group of 8. The staff was so helpful and polite. We could only get the family rooms, which was 4 to a room but they were very spacious so we didn't feel crowded. I would highly recommend getting the kaiseki dinner. We enjoyed the private room, the sushi chef preparing our sushi, the owner coming in and checking on us, it was all very special & attractively presented. We all wore our yukatas to dinner and will have an amazing Christmas card picture. The onsen was wonderful, so spacious and full of amenities. They provide lots of amenities in your room too. The breakfast was amazing. My mom grew up in Japan and couldn't get over the selection of Japanese items. Best breakfast we had during our Japan trip. We also utilized the shuttle to Snow Monkey park (which was a highlight of our 12 days in Japan, so many baby monkeys, go early). It was also easily walkable to the train station, even with luggage. We bought gifts in the little gift area and really appreciated the hospitality of all the employees.

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.

I booked a night in Yudanaka with my partner so that we could visit the Snow Monkey Park. Most places were already booked up, so we went for Yorozuya (sometimes romanised as Yoroduya) even though it was a little beyond our budget. At £300 a night for a double room with dinner and breakfast, I thought “this had better be good…” Honestly, it was probably worth double that. The ryokan itself is massive; the atrium has a scale that almost defies sense. We were greeted by staff who were awaiting our arrival, and took our luggage up to our room while we enjoyed a complementary matcha tea. A guide led us up the stairs, handed us XL yukata to wear during our stay and explained the situation with towels. She took us in the lift to our room, and showed us how to access the onsens and where the dining halls would be. We took a few moments to settle into our tatami-floored room, change into our yukata, and investigate the albeit pretty boring view from our balcony. For the record: the joy here is _inside_ the ryokan rather than outside. We tested both the on-site onsen; they operate on schedules so that male guests and female guests bathe separately, but can both enjoy both of the baths. It is worth trying both. It’s a cliché to say, but particularly coming from Europe without much experience of this kind of venue, they made me feel like I was in Spirited Away, if Spirited Away was a series of Hokusai prints. I loved relaxing in the heat of the outdoor bath surrounded by rocks, trees and classically Japanese sculptures, with snow gently falling. Suitably relaxed, it was time for dinner. This was worth the whole booking price alone. We were served a 10-course kaiseki dinner, in a private booth, with attentive staff bringing us fresh water and sake whenever we desired. Every single bite was exquisite. While not 10 courses, this extended into breakfast which was a similar luxurious experience. I was sad we only had one night there, and would go back in a heartbeat. The experience of staying here creates a stronger draw for me to return to Yudanaka than the snow monkeys. We were treated so well, and truly unwound in a setting that felt almost too good to be real.

We recently stayed here for one night while visiting the Snow Monkey Park. First of all, the location is fantastic. It's less than a three minute walk from the main train station and it's also located right by the bus stop which you take to the Snow Monkey Park entrance. I'd estimate that the bus ride took about a 15 min (maybe even less) because we actually walked the whole way back from the park instead of the bus, and it took us about 30 min. The staff was incredibly nice in the hotel. They didn't speak much English, but they tried to accommodate us the entire time and were always warm and friendly. We were greeted on arrival with a choice of free drink, while we sat next to a cozy fire in the lobby to warm up. We booked the Japanese room, which was very spacious in size. We had a small issue with the heat and a request for an extra cleaning in our bathroom, but the staff was on top of the issues immediately, and took care of everything in minutes. We ended up booking the private onsen on the roof, which is definitely recommended! We were there during a pretty bad snow storm, and it was a very unique experience to be in the onsen, as snow was falling around us. The next morning, breakfast was included in our rate. We were positioned in our own blocked off booth, and were given a HUGE spread from a traditional Japanese breakfast. Though the food was very foreign to us, we did try most items, and were very impressed by the classy presentation of each of the items. Overall, great experience at the Hotel Tsubakino!

Incredible experience staying at the Shibu Hotel. Felt very privileged to experience the hospitality and exceptional meals at the hotel. Lovely hosts collected us on arrival at the train station, delivered us to the snow monkey park at the requested time and collected us again after we had finished (with a detour to an amazing photo stop on the way back.) Meals are equivalent to a dégustation fine dining experience with Japanese delicacies. Private family onsen was available which was wonderful. We were a family of 4 and stayed in Japanese style room. Rooms well equipped with everything you could need - complimentary drinks on the fridge a wonderful touch. Incredible views of the mountain ranges from the rooms. Kids loved playing in the snow in the front garden. Hosts helped ship our bags to our next destination If you ever have the chance to stay at Shibu Hotel - do not hesitate and book it!!

１：　通常、ホテルサイトから直接予約・宿泊しています。今回、Online Travel Agent （”OTA”)経由です。ホテルサイトからの直接予約とOTAからだと結構、差異が有ります。ラウンジでのドリンクバウチャーが付きません。直接予約・宿泊での夕食に親しんでいると違和感を覚える（クオリティの話ではないので為念)と思います。 ２：　館内履きをハウスキーパーが使用していますが、部屋に入る際、其の館内履きも脱いで部屋を整えてくれます。清掃を含め、行き届いています。パリで猛威を奮うトコジラミへの対応も既に織り込み済みの模様です。トコジラミは、ホテルの☆数や清潔さとは無関係にやってきます。志賀高原の最深部ですが拠点病院情報を含め対応力は日本のホテルの最先端と思います。 ３：　”Stella”でブイヤベースをまたまたリピートです。標高1600Mで味わえる絶品料理です。〆の『おじや』、敢えてリゾットとは言いません。”Ottimo !!” です。和食『篝火』の海鮮しゃぶしゃぶもお気に入りです。勿論、〆もです。スタッフのサービスもとても良い。昨今、何処のホテルでもマンパワー不足から新人が多い。ここも同じですが頑張ってますね、”Forza !!” ４：　良い事ばかりではないのが現実です。余りにお粗末なインシデントには驚かされます。対応も不十分。またマナー違反（大浴場、レストラン）の宿泊者への適切な対応も必要です。レストランに強いパフュームやコロンを付けたゲスト、迷惑至極ですね。 ５：スタンダードでも十分な広さが確保されていますが窓際のパネルヒーターだけだと深夜～明け方にかなり寒い。パナソニックのエオリアが設置されているが夏季冷房使用のみで冬季のエアコン暖房不可と言うのは如何なものか？シャープの業務用加湿空気清浄機もウォータータンクのキャパが不十分で24時間自動運転すると2回／日の給水が必要。尚、給水はバスタブのカランを使用せねばならず不便。誕生から約30年、かなり頑張っていますが時代の変化が早過ぎますね。 ６：　世界中からゲストを引き付けるホテルになりました。欧米からのゲストに加えタイ、シンガポール、中東、中国等々。眺望サウナで楽しいトークタイムです。ロシアからの方もおられましたが勿論、”Détente”です。彼らが汗を流しながら言うにはスタッフに”More Smile”があればとの事です。一所懸命に聞こうとして質問に答えるのが精一杯。チャーミングな女性スタッフともっと話したいのだそうです。 以上

This traditional Ryokan hotel is a little gem of a place and the family hosts are just wonderful. Had the best night sleep of my 2 week trip to Japan sleeping on Ryokan bed. Rooms and hotel is extremely clean, we had our own toilet and washbasin but you have to share showers which wasn't an issue. The family are so friendly, speak very good English. It's a short walk (10mins) to Shibu-Onsen village and only 5mins to Yudanaka train station. We stayed here for one night to visit the Snow monkey park and to experience an Onsen. The hotel has 2 onsens, shared and private. You can pre-book shared Onsen at check-in. I'd love to return to this Ryokan at winter time.

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 :(.