This was our first trip to Japan and our very first ryokan experience, and we absolutely loved it! My husband and I were completely captivated by the atmosphere, the beautiful natural surroundings, the yukata, the exquisite kaiseki dinner, and of course, the relaxing hot springs. We spent two wonderful and incredibly relaxing days there.
A small tip: I recommend bringing some snacks or familiar food with you, as the ryokan cuisine might not be to everyone's taste.
We stayed in a warm and comfortable tatami room, which included two meals. The hotel offers a convenient shuttle service to and from the station, and the staff were very attentive throughout our stay. The on-site hot spring was excellent; it snowed heavily the day we visited, and soaking in the hot spring while watching the snow fall was truly a magical experience. We also enjoyed the complimentary delicious late-night snack provided in the evening. Additionally, parking is available, which is convenient for those driving.
This hotel service is very in place. Because the road on the mountain is iced, it is impossible to ride forward. There are more than ten kilometers to the hotel and it has begun to go dark. I have to withdraw to the convenience store near the foot of the mountain and call the hotel for help. There is an English-speaking waiter. When the clerk is asked to explain the location to them, Send a car to pick us up at the hotel immediately, and although it was already more than 8 pm when we arrived at the hotel, we still prepared dinner for us! Check out the next day and send us back to facilitate super business pick-up. This kind of hospitality, I will definitely come back next time!
The hotel is not far from the station, about a five-minute drive away. Near the hotel is Tianyi Art Museum whose owner is an artist of traditional Shakuhachi musical instruments. The decoration and details of the hotel are very artistic. Inadvertently found a hotel with a local traditional culture atmosphere. You need to make an appointment if you have a private soup, and you can see the outdoor scenery. Public soups for men and women are separated and served 24 hours a day. The breakfast is delicious and authentic with local specialties. The dinner will provide musical instrument performance and experience. Interesting.
I recently had the pleasure of staying at Tokinoniwa Onsen Hotel, and it was an unforgettable experience. From the moment I arrived, I was enveloped in a sense of tranquility and luxury that defines a perfect Japanese ryokan stay.
The hotel effortlessly blends traditional Japanese aesthetics with modern comforts. The staff were exceptionally warm and attentive, ensuring every aspect of the stay was seamless. The check-in process was smooth, and the hospitality throughout my visit was outstanding.
The tatami-style room was beautifully designed, offering both elegance and comfort. The highlight was the private open-air onsen on the balcony, where I could soak in the natural hot spring water while enjoying breathtaking views of the surrounding nature. The serene ambiance made it a truly rejuvenating experience.
It should be regarded as the best hotel in Yixiangbao. It has a history of more than 400 years, but it does not feel old. Several soups are great. The service staff are professional and thoughtful. The small robot in the lobby is super cute. There is a small restaurant on the 19th floor to the entrance and exit of the stone steps, three private rooms, open at 8-11 every night, fried dumplings and ramen are delicious. The people in this place are friendly and hospitable. Udon noodles are local specialties, and each one is delicious; the ancestral stone pot curry rice of the Black Boat House is particularly delicious; Sara's Terrace Arraiya 's package is very homely; Lungo's own roasted coffee is the best to drink, with a bunch of rice cakes is too fragrant! The matcha shop next to the ladder is already very popular, but the clerk is so enthusiastic. When I fell down, I immediately took the first aid kit and ran out to deal with the wound. I was moved! The nearby original gallery is also worth a visit, in a pasture with lots of sheep.
The hotel is a bit of a drive from Karuizawa JR Station, about 35 minutes, and there's a toll fee. However, the scenery along the way is beautiful. Shiraito Falls is about 10 minutes away. The hotel parking lot is ample and very convenient.
The hotel rooms are very spacious and comfortable. The hot springs are both indoor and outdoor, with an orange-brown color and a mild odor. Unfortunately, the outdoor hot springs don't allow for a view of the sky.
The breakfast and dinner buffets offer a wide variety of options and are delicious.
This hotel has a very resort-like feel and I'd definitely return if I had the chance.
Figure 1: Scenery along the way
Figure 2: View from the hotel window
Figure 3: Nearby attractions (Shiraito Falls)
Stayed for 2 nights in early Dec 2024. Booked the mountain view twin room with cypress bath which comes with both dinner and breakfast.
The ryokan styled hotel is located diagonally opposite from the shibukawa bus stop and about 5 mins walk (turn right from the hotel) to the Ikaho stone steps around the mid section of the steps.
The hotel is old ryokan style but well maintained and does not see much wear and tear. The lobby which is on the 3rd floor (ground level) is big. No shoes allowed in the hotel, guests have to deposit their shoes at the entrance. Staff were all friendly and polite though not all can speak well in English. They do go much more to make you feel at home. Yutaka is provided at the lobby.
My room which is located on the 4th floor corner is considered big. Old styled ryokan kind of design but with western bed. Though the room is laid with tatami on the floor but can still hear people walking if they area heavy or run. Corridor noise does filter in as well but muffled. Unblocked view of the mountain as the hotel sits on an elevated hill. I would recommend to stay with mountain view. The cypress bath can fit 2 person but takes a while to fill, I rather go to the public onsen. Besides the usual amenities, they even provide face wash, face moisturiser, etc in the room. Safe box is provided in the room as well. Wifi seems weak. No place in the bathroom however to hang your clothes or towel.
There is an indoor onsen on the first floor and an outdoor one on the 8th floor. The onsen are gender separated. They rotate the male and female onsen on the first floor though both has the same look and facilities. The onsen on the 8th floor has a nice view of the city but no shower facilities. There is a massage chair on the first floor as well.
Breakfast and dinner are served on the 2nd floor. I would not say that this is the best, but definitely delicious and sufficient.
Check in at 3 pm and check out at 10am which I find a bit too early. Hope they can consider to extend.
Overall I would recommend this place to stay if you are coming to ikaho.
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JJoeTmStayed for 2 nights in early Dec 2024. Booked the mountain view twin room with cypress bath which comes with both dinner and breakfast.
The ryokan styled hotel is located diagonally opposite from the shibukawa bus stop and about 5 mins walk (turn right from the hotel) to the Ikaho stone steps around the mid section of the steps.
The hotel is old ryokan style but well maintained and does not see much wear and tear. The lobby which is on the 3rd floor (ground level) is big. No shoes allowed in the hotel, guests have to deposit their shoes at the entrance. Staff were all friendly and polite though not all can speak well in English. They do go much more to make you feel at home. Yutaka is provided at the lobby.
My room which is located on the 4th floor corner is considered big. Old styled ryokan kind of design but with western bed. Though the room is laid with tatami on the floor but can still hear people walking if they area heavy or run. Corridor noise does filter in as well but muffled. Unblocked view of the mountain as the hotel sits on an elevated hill. I would recommend to stay with mountain view. The cypress bath can fit 2 person but takes a while to fill, I rather go to the public onsen. Besides the usual amenities, they even provide face wash, face moisturiser, etc in the room. Safe box is provided in the room as well. Wifi seems weak. No place in the bathroom however to hang your clothes or towel.
There is an indoor onsen on the first floor and an outdoor one on the 8th floor. The onsen are gender separated. They rotate the male and female onsen on the first floor though both has the same look and facilities. The onsen on the 8th floor has a nice view of the city but no shower facilities. There is a massage chair on the first floor as well.
Breakfast and dinner are served on the 2nd floor. I would not say that this is the best, but definitely delicious and sufficient.
Check in at 3 pm and check out at 10am which I find a bit too early. Hope they can consider to extend.
Overall I would recommend this place to stay if you are coming to ikaho.
JJaQwWe stayed in Naraya House for 1 night and it was perfect. The staffs were all very kind and helpful that I am truly grateful for all their assistance given throughout our stay. We had a suite, rm no.206, it was stunningly amazing! I only know I am booking a suite with a beautiful view of the yubatake and private onsen. I didn't know it's a gigantic duplex suite with the best view of the yubatake! The room door opens to a western style living and dining area that fits with a set of sofa for 6 and a dining table for 4 with 2 benches. To the left of this western style area is 2 double beds, a walk-in closet and a toilet. I could see Japanese syle beddings in a cupboard which I believe they would be made when the room is booked for more than 2 persons. Facing the sofa is a TV panel. Behind the TV is a Japanese style sitting area with a coffee table and a view of the yubatake. The view is picturesque. There you can also find a stairs going down to the suite's private onsen bath. It's actually on a balcony overlooking the yubatake, the same gorgeous view as in its Japanese style sitting area above, just without the windows, ie closer and clearer picture of the yubatake without reflections. But be aware ppl on the street can see u too, as you can see the windows r just next to 7.11 The meal provided was fantastic. I particularly enjoyed the freshly made sushi. The salmon roe was just so fresh that they were actually shining like marbles. All the ingredients used are high quality. My kid, who is usually picky on food, was pleased with the menu. He already wanted to come back again. Next time, we will stay here for more nights in order to better experience the beauty of Kusatzu.
Ps I usually don't bother to write a review, I am doing this one in return to the hotel's great service and hospitality. Thank you and until next time~
LLisa KhThis was our first trip to Japan and our very first ryokan experience, and we absolutely loved it! My husband and I were completely captivated by the atmosphere, the beautiful natural surroundings, the yukata, the exquisite kaiseki dinner, and of course, the relaxing hot springs. We spent two wonderful and incredibly relaxing days there.
A small tip: I recommend bringing some snacks or familiar food with you, as the ryokan cuisine might not be to everyone's taste.
GGuest UserThe location is great, right in front of the Yubatake. The room is quite old, so the toilet, bath, and sink are small, but the steak and tempura for dinner were delicious. I didn't know there was a last shuttle bus from the parking lot, so I arrived after the last one had left, but they arranged an extra bus and got me to the hotel safely. Next time, I'd like to arrive a little earlier and explore Kusatsu.
GGuest UserThe pick-up staff are polite and there is a car to pick up and drop off the hotel! Passengers cannot check into the room with their shoes upright. They can only change slippers in front of the hotel door to keep the environment clean. The travel environment is comfortable. The room faces the woods. There are male and female hot springs or private hot springs at your own expense, which is very comfortable!
LLeslie CulhaneHotel Ichii is right in the heart of Kusatsu, so that is awesome. The onsen facilities are very clean and organized. However, our room was disappointing - perhaps because we are used to western style rooms. Our Japanese style room in the annex had no storage - other than the wardrobe where the yukata are stored and you could hang a couple of coats, there was nothing. Since the table in the center of the room was moved each morning and night by the staff to lay out the futons, we didn’t feel comfortable leaving a lot on the table. The futons were clearly old and the comforter on top was stained. There were only the towels meant to be used in the onsen - there were only very thin paper towels for the sink, which seemed very wasteful. Our rooms were located in the annex and while we could get hot water for the in room bath, there water in the sink was barely tepid. The smoking room on the second floor by the passage to the main building made the whole area smell. So if we hadn’t paid up front, we would have left early.
GGuest UserI am very grateful that there is hotspring serving directly in my room. In addition to that, there are 4 more private hotspring rooms which can be freely used 24h whenever they are not occupied. My room is a lot bigger than what I expected. The meals are good and the staff are friendly. There are lots of free servings such as draft beer during different time of the day. There is scheduled shuttle bus going between the hotel and the central area.
GGuest UserThis was my first and only stay at a ryokan so I don’t have much to compare it to. I chose this lodging because of the cats and good reviews on the food. The cats were really sweet and I enjoyed playing with them. I have 2 cats of my own so it was really nice. The food was so beautiful and delicious - the mushroom soup at dinner was amazing. I really enjoyed it. The private bath rooms were very convenient and open 24 hrs. I thought the facilities were clean and very pleasant. The location was very close to the central area and a quick walk to all the important sites including the bus station. The only comment I have was in the morning someone was smoking and the smell got ****** into the 2nd floor hallway so maybe more care should be taken to be sure the smoke stays outside. The host was so nice and sweet and I used google translate to ask questions. The matcha madeleines are so tasty I bought a box to take with me.
GGuest UserBeautiful, great service, super clean & comfortable hotel which sets it's standard really high. Everything was superb from the lobby to the room to the restaurants, and to the onsen. Quality meals are served with their hearts & the quality is too much for me. Our room was really huge. There are 3 different onsen rooms with indoor & outdoor pools. However, the outdoor pools do not give you any views since they bamboo-fenced the surrounding. Parking is free and it is only 2 mins walk down the slope to reach Kusatsu town centre. A minimum 2N stay is recommended.
GGuest UserOverall staying in this hotel was pleasant, and it was of great value considering the package had already included dinner and breakfast buffet.
Regarding location, it was a bit far from the bus terminal by walking. It took us about 15 minutes, as the route by Google was not quite correct. The main entrance of the hotel was up on a slope, which was not as easy as we were carrying luggage.
Remember to ask the front desk for the password of the back gate. It was a short cut route leading to the main shopping street and the Kusatsu Yubatake.
The room was pleasant and clean, a bit too basic. There was only a socket near the tv wall, not close to the bed, which was a bit inconvenient.
There was wide range of food in the buffet, with some interesting local dishes. Food was delicious. The hotel also offer free late night snack noodle, which worth trying too.
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