Hotel 3-Star di Gunma Prefecture, Japan

I looked forward to my stay in this hotel very much given the good comments on the Internet. The open air bath on the rooftop is great. You can see the stars on a clear days, but there is no shampoo and shower gel there. You can also choose your own yukata. They are not very fancy ones but much better than the standard basic yukata. However, I found the dinner disappointing. I paid around 6000 yen for the dinner. There were just a small portion of appetizers, udon noodles with pork, a pot of rice and a small dessert. I also paid extra for the drink. The taste was very average. You can have much better dinner in a restaurant in this area.

Love this ryokan! Such a gem in winter time with steaming onsen and dramatic snow falling on the river. If you need mental reset, you must come. Great food, super clean place and hospitable people. Highly recommend to bring snacks and your own beverages as there is no cafes nearby. Overall experience is memorable.

This hotel is super close to Yuda, and the area around it is really lively. The hotel itself is a bit older, and the room facilities are just okay. There's a hot spring on the first floor, but they also partner with two other hotels, so you can go soak for free at their newer locations, which is a nice perk.

We had an amazing and relaxing stay! We truly loved it and had a wonderful night surrounded by serene nature. The view was absolutely beautiful — the lake is just right in front of the hotel! The place is spotless and very well maintained. But what truly made our stay special was the incredible staff. A big shoutout to Mr. Ozu, the General Manager, for going the extra mile with his thoughtfulness! When he learned that we were heading to the ropeway the next day (and that there were no bus trips on weekdays), he kindly offered us a ride. He was also genuinely concerned about our hike and overall safety — so heartwarming! Since we didn’t get the dinner package and there was only one restaurant nearby that closed at 4 p.m., we decided to get a takeout for dinner. My friend also asked if there was a nearby café to buy a cake for my birthday, but there wasn’t any. Later that evening, after we came back from the onsen, someone knocked on our door and surprised us with a complimentary cake! They said it was because we didn’t have dinner and they wanted to celebrate my birthday. Awwww! Such a thoughtful and sweet gesture! 🎂💖 In the morning, Mr. Ozu even gave us taxi numbers and the bus schedule for Yumoto Onsen, making sure our travel plans went smoothly. Truly amazing hospitality — we felt so cared for and appreciated throughout our stay! 🌿✨

Excellent service. I will give 10 out of 5 if I could. There was a staff who rushed out to us and asked if we were going to stay at the Ryokan. Very helpful for lost travelers overwhelmed by the cold weather. Greeted us warmly when we arrived. Explained the important information to us as best as they could in English, which is perfectly fine. Room was big. Decorated meticulously in the traditional Japanese style. Yukata and Obi provided added on to the immersive experience. Dinner was exquisite. Dishes gave us a taste of what traditional Japanese cuisine was like. The food was sincere (didn’t feel like frozen / canned / ready made food), served and plated meticulously. There were 2 onsens, indoor and outdoor. They were clean and spacious enough. Water (I believe) is from the hot spring nearby and was immensely therapeutic. Ryokan was near the heart of the town and everything was within walking distance. Kindly shuttled us to the bus terminal when we checked out (we didn’t have to wait for fixed timings) and carried our (heavy) luggage. All in all, we enjoyed the one night stay very much and they set a high bar for Japanese hospitality.

Upon our arrival, we're greeted with great staff members, who take our shoes and away and provide us slippers to wear during our entire stay. The dinner was exquisitely served as a big course composed of various several side dishes and main items. We were just blown away. So we came back to the room after dinner to find out that the futon beds, Japanese style mattress & beds, were set up for us to relax and sleep. The breakfast is just a bit less sophisticated but still much more than we could eat, yet impressive for us in terms of the effort required to make them. Same with upon our departure, our shoes are placed back at the lobby orientated readily for us to wear. It just shows Japanese highly attentive level of detail in terms of hospitality. Although the location is its downside, even if you don't have a rental car, I still highly recommend it if you can find a way there.

The facilities were very clean as they had just been renovated. The buffet had a great variety, and both dinner and breakfast were delicious! The heating in the room was apparently faulty, but I suspect the entire facility might have had issues, as even with the provided heater, some areas were very cold. At dinner, we were seated near the entrance, and it was so incredibly cold that many of the dishes were already cool, which was a real shame. When I went to the onsen in the morning, the changing room was so cold it felt like being outside. I warmed up in the hot spring, but then got cold again in the changing room. Also, there was a lot of hair on the floor near the dryers in the changing room, which was quite unpleasant. I used the onsen three times but never saw any staff cleaning it. There were hair straighteners in addition to dryers, but there were no outlets to plug in my own, which was also disappointing. I hope these issues can be improved.

The surroundings are exceptionally quiet, making it ideal for relaxation or even a bit of meditation. It may not be the best choice for families with children, as there are very limited amenities catered for them. Service, however, was outstanding. The staff went above and beyond — when my rental car had a brake light issue, they noticed it before I did, stepped in to assist, contacted the rental company, and ensured it was resolved the very next morning. That level of attentiveness is rare. Location-wise, it is quite remote. There’s little within walking distance, so getting around or finding food requires some planning. But if you’re here for peace and an onsen experience, that quiet isolation becomes part of the appeal. A memorable stay overall, especially for those seeking calm, comfort, and genuine hospitality.

The location is very close to the bus terminal, there is a Lawson convenience store downstairs, and it is very convenient to walk to Yubata in 6-7 minutes! The room space is spacious and comfortable, hygienic and tidy!

We arrived early (about 11:00) at the ryokan and were met by a very helpful young lady receptionist who spoke good English. She accepted our luggage, arranged a ground floor room for us (my wife has difficulty climbing stairs) and recommended us where to eat and what to do. The room was clean and sizeable. The bed was comfortable. The ryokan provided a simple buffet breakfast (much to our surprise and delight).  It is located just a short distance from the Yubatake and is very convenient.  Overall, we are very happy with the ryokan.